Congratulations, Father Paul

Fr Paul con-celebrating his first Mass with Fr Tony Lester (Prior Provincial) and Archbishop Peter Smith (Southwark)

At the weekend, our brother Paul Jenkins was ordained priest by Archbishop Peter Smith at Aylesford Priory. Please keep him in your prayers. The photo below shows Fr Paul at his first concelebrated Mass at his ordination. 

THANK YOU to all the supporters of the National Shrine of Saint Jude who have made Paul's training possible. It is YOUR support, through your donations and prayers, which enable the Carmelites to minister in Britain and beyond. GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY. If you would like to help us further, please visit our online shop (http://tinyurl.com/perbzlo) where you can purchase gifts from the Shrine, or you can make a donation. THANK YOU.

Simple Profession of Brother James

Last month, the British Province came together to attend the Simple Profession of Brother James Hinchcliffe at Aylesford. James has recently completed a year in Salamanca, Spain. James has recently completed a year in Salamanca, Spain. 

It was a really joyful occasion, celebrated by Fr Antony Lester, O.Carm - the Prior Provincial, and was one of hope and thanksgiving. At the National Shrine of Saint Jude, we are keeping James in our prayers for his ministry to the church, and for the next few years of his training.

THANK YOU to all the supporters of the National Shrine of Saint Jude who have made James' training possible. It is YOUR support, through your donations and prayers, which enable the Carmelites to minister in Britain and beyond. GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY. If you would like to help us further, please visit our online shop where you can purchase gifts from the Shrine, or you can make a donation. THANK YOU.

St Edward the Confessor

As the National Shrine of Saint Jude, we often remember British saints at our daily Mass. Today is the Feast Day of St Edward the Confessor, who was King of England.

St Edward the Confessor was born in 1003, and was the son of Ethelred the Unready and his Norman wife Emma. He was educated at Ely and then whilst in exile in Normandy,  while two Scandinavian kings claimed the English throne in succession.

He became king of England in 1042, the last of the old Anglo-Saxon line; his death precipitated the Norman invasion of 1066. Commonly known as the 'Confessor', he was regarded as a saint during his lifetime, renowned for his generosity to the Church and to the poor, and because of the readiness with which he listened to his subject's grievances. His relics were translated on this day in 1163 to a new shrine in Westminster Abbey, which foundation he had richly endowed and expanded.

St Edward once made a vow to go on pilgrimage to Rome, but it became difficult for him to keep this promise. Therefore, the Pope released him from his obligation, under the condition that he would restore and or build an Abbey dedicated to St Peter. An ancient abbey in Westminster was already dedicated to St Peter and in need of restoration, so to fulfil his promise to the Pope, St Edward rebuilt what is now known as Westminster Abbey.

On 28 December 1065, Edward's new abbey church was consecrated at Westminster. One week later he was dead.  Nothing remains of the original building, as it was demolished in the thirteenth century. Edward the Confessor's tomb remains well preserved - one of the few mediaeval shrines to survive the Reformation. If you are ever in London, it is well worth a visit.

At least 17 churches are dedicated to him in the UK, and he is depicted in numerous stained glass windows and church carvings - notably at Westminster Abbey, Trinity College Cambridge, York Minster, and at the local Anglican church in Faversham. 

St Edward the Confessor, pray for us. 

We have a number of saints prayer cards that can be purchased from our Gift Shop.

Tomb of St Edward the Confessor

Thoughts from our Chaplain - Compassion

This Sunday is the churches day for prisoners, a time when we especially remember prisoners and their families and friends.  This day of prayer is aimed at those who are actually confined in prison for whatever reason but this of course is not the only sort of imprisonment.

Countless people are imprisoned or trapped by their family situation, their financial state; trapped in work which is not fulfilling but is essential to support them.  Others feel imprisoned in health circumstances or a multitude of mental illnesses which unfortunately also bring with them prejudices of various sorts.

Our Lord, in his journey through Palestine would have come across many people who would fit into these categories and as we read so often in the gospels he ‘felt compassion’ for them.  Often this word compassion is understood as sympathy which in some degree is correct.  But the meaning is actually a lot more powerful than just sympathy, important as this may be.  It needs to be looked at as two parts: ‘com’, from the Latin prefix cum or with and secondly ‘passion’ from the Latin passus which is related to the English word ‘Patient’ or the one who suffers from patiens. 

So we can see that the compassion which Jesus felt for those in need was not just sympathy but of being with those who suffer.  One way to look at this is to remember when we use the word Passion.  It is the suffering of Jesus as he goes to the cross to die for us.  This can give us some idea of the intensity of the term compassion when we read it in the gospels.  Paul, in the second letter to the Corinthians, describes God as the ‘Father of compassion and the God of all comfort’ (2 Corinthians 1:3-7). 

Experiencing compassion and giving comfort this is what Christ calls us to as Christian people.  Let us remember this as we celebrate our Mass this weekend.

Fr Michael Manning, O.Carm.

Photo of the month - October 2014

A portrait of Fr. Elias Lynch, O.Carm.

The photo above is of Fr Elias Lynch, O.Carm who founded the National Shrine of Saint Jude.

The development of Faversham into a centre of devotion to St. Jude arose out of the work of the Carmelite Press.

The Press (which today has been superseded by Saint Albert's Press) was founded in 1938 to support the work of the Carmelite friars, then only recently re-established in England after a gap of four hundred years. The Press printed a newsletter, Carmelite News, which kept supporters of the friars in touch with their developments at Faversham and across the country. Carmelite News is still sent out to Saint Jude supporters today.

In the early 1950s Fr. Elias received an increasing number of requests from readers of Carmelite News for prayer cards of St. Jude. Having distributed such a card, donations to "The Shrine of St. Jude" and requests for prayers started flooding in. Such a shrine did not exist, but perceiving the need Fr. Elias quickly developed a place of prayer and devotion to the Apostle Jude alongside the parish church in Faversham.

On 28th October 1955, the Bishop of Southwark Cyril Cowderoy, assisted by the Prior General of the Carmelite Order, the Prior of Aylesford, and many other priests and religious, dedicated the Shrine of St Jude. Bishop Cyril described the shrine as "a jewel for the diocese".

If you would like to subscribe to Carmelite News, you can do so, here.

Feast of Saint Jude celebrations 2014

The Feast celebrations are taking place on: 25, 26 & 28 October 2014

The feast weekend is the highpoint of the calendar in Faversham, and hundreds of pilgrims come here in devotion to the Apostle. Although most come from London and the southeast, many others come from across Britain and even from abroad to celebrate this special time with God and with one another, in the company of the Carmelites.

The programme of activities during the feast includes regular celebrations of the Eucharist, blessings with the oil of St. Jude, and other devotions. During the celebrations there is a piety stall, a display of Carmelite books, and light refreshments available.

If you are bringing a group of more than 10 people to Faversham for any of the feast celebrations, it is very important that you please contact the Shrine Office in advance so that we have an idea of numbers and can let you know details for coach parking etc. You can contact us on shrineoffice@stjudeshrine.org.uk

The programme is as follows:

Saturday 25 October
12.00 - Saint Jude Mass
14.00 - Saint Jude Mass
16.00 - Devotions with Blessing of Oil and Anointing

Sunday 26 October
12.30 - Saint Jude Mass with the Blessing of Oil and Anointing
14.30 - Saint Jude Mass with the Blessing of Oil and Anointing
16.30 - Guild of Saint Jude talk (Guild members only)

Tuesday 28 October
12.00 - Saint Jude Mass with the Blessing of Oil and Anointing
15.00 - Saint Jude Mass with the Blessing of Oil and Anointing
19.30 - Saint Jude Mass with the Blessing of Oil and Anointing

Plus.. meet some friars, purchase items from the shop, light a candle, and pray and leave intentions at the Shrine.

If you cannot attend, you can purchase a candle via our online shop. Your candle will be lit during the Feast weekend.

Please note that the Shrine is based at: 34 Tanners Street, Faversham, ME13 7JW

Novena to the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary

The following novena recently published in Carmelite News and from the National Shrine of Saint Jude is for the nine days leading up to the Feast of the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary.

You can pray the novena in private, with your friends or family, or in a group. The novena starts on Monday 28 September and continues until 7 October 2014.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory be...

O God, whose only begotten Son,

by his death and resurrection,

has gained for us the rewards of eternal life,

grant we beseech you

that we who meditate on the mysteries

of the Most Holy Rosary

of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

may imitate what they contain,

and obtain what they promise.

Through Christ our Lord.

Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.

That we may be worthy

of the promises of Christ.

Our Lady statue outside the Shrine of Saint Jude

You can also view this novena, here.