Congratulations to our new Deacons, Rev David Skillen and Rev Stephen Scott...
Served by Monks of Belmont Abbey
Parish Priest:
Rev Dom Matthew Carney O.S.B.
Tel: 01946 692342
Permanent Deacons.
Rev David Skillen.
Rev Stephen Scott.
stephenscott747@btinternet.com
ST. BEGH'S PRIORY CHURCH.
ORDINATION.
On Saturday 10th July we celebrated the ordination or our two new permanent Deacons, David Skillen and Stephen Scott, and then on Sunday 11th July celebrated a mass of thanksgiving for their ordination. Find below David and Stephen's sermons given at that mass of thanksgiving.
Well I know I don’t just speak for myself, but I also speak for Deacon Stephen, and in fact for both our families, when I say it is certainly a great feeling to have reached this day of thanksgiving for both our ordinations; again I know Stephen agrees that at times it has felt as if our ordination day would never arrive-this probably felt most like this on one of those dark, grey, wintery, early mornings in December or January back in year 2 or 3 of the programme, somewhere between Tebay and Kendal, southbound on the M6 towards Lancaster! And yet, here we are, gathered in this beautiful church, surrounded by you our friends and family, our work colleagues and fellow parishionners; here we are gathered in joyful thanksgiving and praise of Almighty God, who is our loving and providing Father: For this is all our Mass of thanksgiving.
You may have already picked up or were given the small prayer card as you came into church to mark the occasion of our ordination; sometime, but not during the homily until I’ve managed to put to you sleep already!!?? Take a moment to reflect on very short and simple prayer at the bottom of the second side of the card which is relevant to all of us, and which is appropriate for Stephen and I on the occasion of our ordination: It reads, “Lord, forgive what we have been, bless what we are, guide what we shall be.” This simple verse gives me great inspiration as I beginning my diaconal ministry and it in fact its words sat at the very front of my mind as I lay prostrate on the Cathedral sanctuary floor yesterday at Lancaster, awe-stuck at the situation in which I found myself; a situation I would and could never have imagined or foreseen not too many years ago! These powerful words beautifully capture the truth that our ordination has taken place at a mere point in our life’s journey, a point which is neither our life’s beginning nor its end, and yet our ordination marks the conclusion of a part of that journey and opens for us the beginning of the next stage. As a petition this prayer acknowledges humbly, our dependence on God’s hand in our life, something we should all remind ourselves each and everyday as we open our eyes.
So you and I, and Deacon Stephen and our priests are gathered to thank God for the gift of two new deacons for St Begh’s and in fact for the whole Church. But what does it mean to receive a deacon? Well I wish to be clear this morning about something very important, our ordination…my ordination is not a private matter, nor is it simply for my own good, or my family’s own good, though of course it is a huge blessing to us all, rather as with all the sacraments, Holy Orders, is given to some for the benefit of the whole Church.
The deacon is called to a vocation of service, not of priesthood. If the priest and of course the bishop is called to represent and make present Jesus Christ who is High Priest and the Good Shepherd, so the deacon is to be a sacramental sign and real presence of Christ is came to serve and not to be served, and to give His life, as a ransom for many. In my ministry from now on the Lord asks me, and he asks Stephen, to give the rest of our lives over to serving Him by serving you, His people. We will be calling to live out this vocation to service in many and varied ways, and what ever we each bring to this special ministry our gifts will be used firstly, through our service of the Word-that is in proclaiming the gospel here in the Mass and preaching the homily, and in deed in dutifully witnessing to the gospel in the ordinary places of our daily lives; secondly, through our service of the altar, assisting Fr Matthew in the celebration of the Mass; and thirdly through the service of Charity-that is by actively seeking to work for the good of all people no matter who they are! Clearly all this will be a great challenge, a blessing and a burden, as I hand over to Stephen now I ask you to please keep us both in your prayers not just today, but in the weeks, months and years ahead. May the Lord bless and keep you all deep in His care…
Rev David Skillen.
MY SON, IF YOU TAKE MY WORDS TO HEART, YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS AND DISCOVER THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.
These words, although from the Book of Proverbs we listened too in our First Reading, I feel have a wider significance; for today is also the Feast of St Benedict and they seem by their tone to come from St. Benedict himself. Also in the in Book of Proverbs we find the words are clear sayings of wisdom passed down from the great King Solomon.
The underlying theme is that God’s will is expressed by the faithful through the Holy Spirit operating within them and that the development of this spirit of holiness is more desirable than material wealth
Throughout the West Cumbria Deanery, there is visible evidence of the presence of St Benedict; this parish of St Begh’s is served by the Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey; of which Fr Matthew, our main celebrant at this morning’s mass is a monk of Belmont Abbey. Secondly we have our High School and the parish in Mirehouse both named after St Benedict.
In his Rule for Monks, Benedict describes in detail the specific ways that he considers the most effective way to follow so as to arrive at the goal we are all striving for in this life for the next life ahead that of a life in the kingdom of the Father. The ways he points out are the ways of obedience, humility, prayer and fraternal charity. These are the fundamental lessons he taught and are continued to be lived out by Benedictine Monks in the Lord’s service within the monastery. St. Benedict makes no claim to teach a developed theology of the spiritual life.
The foundation of his teaching is based on true faith. In particular, faith in Christ and his Church which form the atmosphere in which the whole of monastic living lives and moves. This faith finds expression precisely where Jesus had taught his apostles who express their love for him, in obedience. “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Benedict also taught that “the abbot is believed to hold the place of Christ in the monastery.” Consequently, the Benedictine monk living according to the Rule continually strives to show at all times respect and honour to the abbot. Not only by carrying out the expressed instructions in the spirit of Obedience but also by giving moral support and showing friendliness, even affection. The abbot, in turn, must strive to prove worthy of such a responsibility by obedience to the Rule and by conducting himself in such a way as to be loved rather than feared.
The Monastic Rule of St Benedict is most renowned for its wisdom and moderation and encourages the great need for obedience. He wrote, “Let all follow the Rule as their guide in everything, and let no one rashly depart from it.” The very first two words of his rule are “listen carefully.” To listen is to obey and St Benedict insists on the need for “silence to aid a listening heart” These words are applicable not only to the monks and nuns who follow his rule. But he said to himself, “Let all follow the Rule.” Each of us in our lives thirst at some stage for that all important peace and quietness from the hectic pace of daily life in order that we are able to take stock let his rule guide us in all that we do. No matter what our vocations in whatever way we are called to serve, we must learn how to “listen carefully” to the voice of God. His voice is calling out to us, calling us to reach for heaven and bring his unbounding Love to all we come in contact with especially in our daily lives.
Likewise, in St. Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus hears the complaint of the twelve and reassures them that the sacrifices they make in this life, for the sake of Jesus and his message will be rewarded beyond understanding by the Heavenly Father. This theme of selfless service to God was central to the Rule of St Benedict.
Finally on this Feast of St Benedict and during this Mass of Thanksgiving for the Good Lord bringing David Skillen and I to this weekend of Celebration of our Ordination yesterday as Permanent Deacons and we thank God for calling St. Benedict who through his rule allows us all to at some point to be “Be still and know of his presence”. Through him St Benedict continues to provide a living sign in the world of the power of Christ’s unfailing love.
May we see this example of our unfailing faith in our lives and for David and I to be moved to greater efforts on our part as we begin our ministry and Journey of Service to the Good Lord.
Amen
Rev Stephen Scott.
HISTORY OF THE PARISH.
Father Gregory Holden O.S.B.
A Benedictine Priest of Downside Abbey, Somerset
Priest in Charge of the Whitehaven Benedictine Mission (1818 – 1853)
Founder of the Cleator Benedictine Mission (1853 – 1859)
How Father Gregory Holden Stopped a Strike and Built a Church
By Right Reverend Abbot Sweeney, D.D.
(In Memoriam)
Originally taken from a Catholic Magazine 1840-70
[Reprinted in the Bicentenary Booklet of the Whitehaven Catholic Mission, 1907]
Father Gregory Holden is sent to the Whitehaven Mission
Father Holden, called in religion Gregory, was the first priest who left Downside, the Benedictine House in Somersetshire to go on the Mission. He was for two years in Lancashire, then he went to Whitehaven.
The chapel that Father Holden found there was considered at that time to be sufficiently large for the congregation, but in a year after his coming it was found to be too small. The people were poor, the coal mines in the neighbourhood were enlarging and increasing, Irish were arriving to work in the Mines, and a population of Catholics, already large was steadily on the increase.
Father Holden was a man of extraordinary simplicity of character. He knew nothing of money, and had so little to do with gold or silver that there had been a pleasant joke among his confreres in the College of Downside, when on occasion of some of the House going on a day's excursion to the Cheddar Cliffs, Father Holden had been put in possession of a shilling to pay expenses. With as little practicable experience of 'ways and means' as this anecdote expresses, he went to the rapidly increasing Mission of Whitehaven, among a people who were most of them extremely poor.
The dream of a new Chapel
The Mission was, in fact, supported by the pence of the congregation - there was no endowment. He lived, of course, poorly enough. But he had no debts, and in the Chapel by weekly subscriptions was enlarged at three different times, in the second, third, and the fourth year of his residence there.
There were now galleries wherever they could put them: up to the Altar on both sides. But still, the congregation increased and the Chapel was too small. Father Holden used to walk about thinking of the only thing that ought to be done - of building a new Chapel and a sufficiently large one - people had not begun to talk of Churches then, for we are writing of a good many years ago.
But to think of a new chapel was like indulging in mere day-dream. There was no land to be got - absolutely none. So, as it was like a dream, Father Holden felt it was just as easy to dream of possessing a piece of Lord Lonsdale's park, as a piece of any other bit of ground. There was a site near that park, quite close enough to the poor Catholics, that seemed in his eyes of all spots the most desirable.
"Now, if I could only get that bit of Lord Lonsdale's land", that was the wish that, in spite of impossibilities, would live in his heart. Whitehaven Castle was a fine place, and the park came down to the town. "Oh, for half an acre - just there - of that site!" So he used to say to his Benedictine friends, who might be staying with him. But, the Lord Lonsdale of that day had little thought of the needs of Catholics. All the land about Whitehaven belonged to him, and to get ANY ground for the site of a new Catholic chapel was simply impossible.
A Cholera epidemic in Whitehaven
Time went on, and the congregation increased steadily. For the coal works were on the increase, adding greatly to Lord Lonsdale's income, and bring more Irish to Whitehaven, and they were Catholics of course.
When the Benedictine Father, who has communicated the facts contained in this account to the writer, was at Whitehaven at that time, there was not only no sitting in the chapel, there was no kneeling. The people stood close together, and so heard Mass, and they were too closely packed to allow anything else.
Then, in the midst of all this increase of the population, the cholera came. It came with its worst features, an awful scourge. It was awful in its ravages among the over-crowded poor. They were dying, dying, dying - with a rapidity that produced a panic, and everybody that could leave Whitehaven fled. How Father Holden worked we may guess. There has been no historian of his deeds, but they exist as a tradition. And then, when the terror was over, in memory of a charity that never failed, old people in Whitehaven would call for blessings for him as he passed along. He could not walk through Whitehaven without people crying aloud to God to remember the blessing he had been given to them in their day of peril and need. There had been no thought of flight in this man's mind, except that which took him in the midst of the danger to strengthen his people with the consolations of religion.
One night a man came after 10 o'clock to tell Father Holden that his mother was seized by cholera. He went and stayed with the woman till she died. And before he left the house, the son who had fetched him was seized and Father Holden attended his death bed, before he left. This will give some idea of the rapidity with which death came upon those who were attacked.
It seems nothing to wonder at when we hear of all those fleeing who could, and to know that Father Holden was esteemed by the people as a saint. But, at last the cholera was gone, and notwithstanding its ravages, when health and prosperity returned to Whitehaven, the old chapel was as crowded as ever. And again rose up the longing in Father Holden's mind for a piece of ground to build upon.
The colliers strike for increased pay
And now there came a strike among the colliers. They got connected with the Northumberland and Durham colliers, and the strike was a long and obstinate one. The strike was for increased wages, but it was not the opinion of Father Holden that the amount of wages offered by the employers was unjust. He was greatly grieved about the strike and he saw people literally starving all around him in consequence of it. Still the men held on to the strike, and the people were getting desperate, for on Lord Lonsdale's side it was felt to be impossible to yield to their demand. Lord Lonsdale was losing seriously - he had plenty of coal which he could not work. His machinery was rusting, and would be destroyed by lying useless much longer. The men were injuring themselves and their masters, and the whole aspect of affairs was heartbreaking.
Father Holden had spoken, but he was not listened to - and at last the men, maddened by the sight of starving wives and children, and ruined homes, began to threaten to burn the place down. The leader of this strike was a very clever man, and a Catholic. Father Holden met him and others and tried to persuade them to go to work, for the Catholics were so numerous that no strike could continue without their consent. If they chose to go to work the strike would not continue. But, Father Holden spoke in vain. Then he determined to preach a sermon on the subject
An appeal to reason from the pulpit
He got up the case carefully, and wrote his sermon with the most diligent preparation. He was not what is called an eloquent man. But, as is so often the case with the truly simple-minded, he had a most energetic and home-trusting way of saying anything that he was certain should be said: and in such a manner he began his sermon. While in the act of preaching, he saw the leader who was at his usual place in the gallery, looking uncomfortable - in a minute he observed him getting away, and out of notice. Then Father Holden, caring no more for what was written before him, cried out:
"Yes, and you are the man to whom I am chiefly speaking! For you are the man who will be held answerable to the miseries that people have been brought to by following your advice."
He said it was bad enough to think of the starvation, and the bodily misery. But, would he be in no measure answerable for the bad passion that had grown up? Was there no judgement for evil counsellors? Could he be certain that in doing all he had done, and in being the cause of so much evil that they saw, he should be held by Almighty God to have done right?
With this brilliant appeal to the man's personal responsibility, Father Holden finished his sermon. And this man, who had been thus appealed to, immediately called a meeting together to consider the subject, by the light that Father Holden's sermon had cast upon it.
The miners return to work
In the meantime, the good priest had gone back to the lodgings, which were very poor ones, where he lived, and he was eating his breakfast not knowing anything about the meeting that had been called in consequence of what he said. While he was at his breakfast a deputation came to him. They offered that the people should go to work the next day.
"You are come to your senses. Go immediately and tell Lord Lonsdale's agents that you are ready."
There were three or four agents in the town, and the Catholics not only said they were coming to work, but also told him why. They sent off to Lord Lonsdale, and came themselves to thank Father Holden. In the evening two servants in dashing livery to the priest's lodgings from the Castle with a note from Lord Lonsdale thanking him in very handsome terms for his good offices.
The conduct of the Catholics had finished the strike, and the fires were being relighted, and work was to begin at once. The next day there was meeting at Whitehaven, and a piece of plate was voted to Father Holden for his charitable and successful intervention.
The Lord answers Father Holden's prayer
When the meeting was over some of the agents came to tell Father Holden of the compliment that was to be paid to him. We may easily suppose that Lord Lonsdale could have but little knowledge of the life of a Catholic priest living on weekly offerings of pence, having the fewest imaginable wants, being beloved in the highest degree by his people, and having had three times to enlarge his Chapel which was, notwithstanding these efforts, filled every Sunday with a standing crowd who had not space to kneel down.
When the agents came to Father Holden with the announcement he was to be presented with a piece of plate, they were not met with compliment in return, but it is said, with these words - the cry of truth and single-heartedness:
"God bless you. What am I to do with a piece of plate? A piece of plate! I am greatly obliged by the thought, but don't throw away a piece of plate on me."
A whispering wonder then rose as to what Father Holden would accept, and he seized the moment and said:
"I want a piece of land to build a chapel on. It's all I want in the world. If I had that I should be thankful."
The secret wish was out, and the agents were thunderstruck. But, they went to Lord Lonsdale and told him. Lord Lonsdale replied:
"He shall have it. Ask him where. Tell him to look about."
So Father Holden fixed upon the very piece of land that a dozen years before he had longed for. Lord Lonsdale gave it with one hundred pounds, and only attached one condition to the gift - that the ground should never be turned into a coal yard. Lord Lonsdale supplied all the stone for the building from his own quarries without charge.
A narrative by Father Dunstan Scott O.S.B.
"I happened to be in Whitehaven," observes Father Dunstan Scott, who dictates this narrative, "about three months before the new chapel was finished. We should not say in these days that it pretended to be of any style of architecture. In the old chapel they had had an organ, and the ambition was to have a gallery for the organ in the new chapel.
It was pressed on Father Holden on a Sunday, and he suggested that certain persons in the congregation should make themselves into collectors, and get half crown subscriptions. In the afternoon I went out to walk and to see the town and shipping. When I came in, there, at a round table, sat Father Holden and the collectors - the money was got, and the gallery was to begin the next day!
Before all this, the subscriptions had been in pence, with one exception. The nieces of a former priest, Father Johnson, had that day given two pounds. This was the largest subscription ever received. The old chapel and the new one are still those used for Mass.
But Father Holden had a congregation of 1200 Catholics in the hills. Though he had never recovered the immense quantity of work that had fallen upon him during the cholera visitation, he laboured among those people, and there, too, he built a chapel. He then left Whitehaven where two priests supplied his place. So to the hills where he had built a chapel, and there he died and was buried - at Cleator."
Additional information about Father Holden and the places associated with him
When Father Gregory Holden O.S.B. arrived in Whitehaven in 1818 to take charge of the Catholic Mission, the chapel used for services was located on the corner of Catherine Street / Duke Street. The original entrance was via Chapel Lane, off Catherine Street, and it is now the site occupied by the Freemasons' Hall. Nearby, is the entrance to the Castle Park - via Love Lane - which leads to Whitehaven Castle. At that time, Whitehaven Castle was the Whitehaven residence of Lord Lonsdale, Lord of the Manor of Whitehaven and the owner of Whitehaven's coal mines. Across the road from the Duke Street entrance of the Catholic Chapel was the Colliery Office / Somerset House.
Dating from at least 1786 but more likely from May 1761, the Catholic Chapel on the Catherine Street / Duke Street site may well have been the first permanent building in Whitehaven for Catholic worship following the Reformation. There has long been a strong local tradition suggesting that a building on nearby Charles Street was used as a Catholic chapel before the Catherine Street site. But, at the time of writing this article there has been no documentary or archaeological proof discovered by researchers to confirm this claim. Wherever the site of the first Catholic Chapel of Whitehaven, it was from the one on Catherine Street / Duke Street that Father Gregory Holden O.S.B. made his famous appeal from the pulpit to one of his congregation in 1834. Resolving the deadlock of a bitter wages dispute, this one passionate sermon led to the realisation of Father Holden's dream of building a new Catholic Chapel at Coach Road. Was this the most significant sermon ever given by a priest in the history of the Catholic Faith in Whitehaven? With the opening of the new chapel, the Duke Street site was then able to be used as a school for the Catholic children of Whitehaven. Yet again, the hard-working Father Holden took on the task of educating the children in the old church! With what is known about the formidable Father Holden, surely the child who was educated by Father Holden would have had a firm foundation for a better life?
The first Catholic Chapel on Coach Road, built in 1834 as a direct result of Father Gregory Holden's dream, was dedicated to St Gregory the Great - regarded as the first Benedictine Pope. Eventually, with continuing immigration and population growth during the Victorian era a much larger Gothic-style church was built at Coach Road adjacent to St Gregory's. This new church, completed in 1868, was initially known as St Bees Church - later known as St Begh's - after the local West Cumbrian saint, St Bega. After the completion of the ‘Mother Church’ of St Begh's, St Gregory's Chapel became a school. Located behind St Begh's Priory, even in the 21st Century, the former St Gregory's Chapel - built in 1834 under the guidance of Father Holden - is still used by St Begh's Junior School as the School Hall. Father Holden's legacy lives on.
PARISH ANNUAL REPORT.
Fr. Matthew's annual report to parishioners is available by following the link below.
PARISH_PRIEST_REPORT_BOOKLET_2009._2.doc
REMEMBERING US IN YOUR WILL.
Have you ever thought about leaving money to the Parish in your will? If you would like to do this please make use of the following details.
“I give to the Belmont Abbey Mission Trust (Charity Number 226277) for the benefit of the Parish of St. Begh's in Whitehaven the sum of £xxxx (written in numbers and in words.), free of duty and I declare that the receipt of the Business Director at Belmont Abbey, Hereford, HR2 9RZ, shall be a good discharge.”
In recent years a number of bequests have been received by the parish which have enabled lots of repairs and maintenance to be carried out to the Churches in our care.
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PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS
BISHOP MICHAEL and Abbot Paul have asked for regular prayers to be said for vocations to the priesthood.
Gracious God, Give our priests courageous faith in the face of confusion and conflict, hope in time of trouble and sorrow and steadfast love for you and for all your people. May they grow in holiness and may the light of your truth shine through their lives and their good works. We ask your blessing upon our seminarians and all men who are discerning a call to the Priesthood. We also beg you to stir into a flame the call to the Priesthood that you have placed into the hearts of many men in our own Diocese, Belmont Abbey and throughout the church. We make this prayer through Jesus Christ, our Eternal High Priest. Amen.
St. John Vianney, Patron of all Priests, Pray for us and for all our priests.
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH IN WHITEHAVEN.
The Catholic Church began its mission in Whitehaven in 1706, when Dom Francis Rich, a Benedictine of Saint Gregory's, then at Douai, arrived in Cumberland to serve the growing Catholic population. This began a much appreciated Benedictine presence in Whitehaven, which continues to this day.
The Church on the present site was built in 1834 and designed by A. Welby Pugin. At the time it was regarded as one of “the most striking” Catholic churches,“ altogether bold and novel.” The cost of the whole structure was £5,000. One hundred and fourteen years later, in 1982, it cost over £100,000 simply to repair, restore and re-decorate St. Begh’s to its original standard of stability and finish. Included in the restorations were facilities for Mothers and Babies, for Children's Liturgy, for recording cassettes for the sick and access for the disabled.
The foundation stone of the Priory Church was laid by Bishop Dorian in 1865, during the incumbency of Dom Dominic Lynass, and the Church was opened for worship on 29 October 1868. The Church was dedicated to Saint Gregory and Saint Bega, an Irish princess, who fled to Cumbria to begin her mission to the native people.
St. Begh's - Before the spire was removed
In 1993, further work took place to enhance the beauty and dignity of the Sanctuary. A permanent stone altar was erected and the Sanctuary floor was re-carpeted. The pinnacle tower, that had originally housed the Most Blessed Sacrament, which had been removed from the church was, once again, after restoration, returned to the Sanctuary as a fitting Sanctuary House, thereby restoring the Blessed Sacrament to its central point of importance and reverence. The ceilings in the Lady Chapel and also St. Benedict’s Chapel were restored to their former glory, with appropriate stencilling. The old oak gates were also returned to the side chapels and all the Sanctuary was restored. The Miners' Chapel at the back of the church, containing the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, was also restored, thereby emphasising the importance of the history of the mining community of this town. Today, St. Begh’s church is considered to be one of the finest Catholic Churches in the north of England.
View of St. Begh's Church
Today the Mission is served from Belmont Abbey, Hereford and the local people are still deeply appreciative of their Benedictine heritage. Saint Begh's is seen as the mother Church of the area and is a worthy monument to all the devotion and hard work of many generations of Clergy and Lay people. The monastic Community are always delighted to welcome visitors, believing Benedictine hospitality to be one of the foundation stones of their apostolate.
The name "Begh" is a derivation of "Bega" or "Bees". At St. Bees was a priory in the village then known as Kirkybee, (Church town of Bega), a name which enshrines the legend of an Irish princess, who had dedicated herself to Christ.
The following information has been taken from the booklet produced for the 125th Anniversary Celebrations of St. Begh's Priory Church in 1993. Please click on the link to read more
The Christian Faith Our Heritage
Bega fled the royal court rather than marry a prince from Norway. Tradition states that she was miraculously transported to Cumberland, in England. There St. Oswald counselled her in a hermitage, and St. Aidan received her vows as a nun. Bega founded St. Bee's Monastery. She served as abbess there until her death. She is also remembered in the village of Kilbees, in Scotland. Around her name, and particularly around a bracelet which she left with the community when she sought safety elsewhere, there has grown up a variety of legends.
For a fuller account of the Life and Legend see "In search of Bega" by Daniel Hay (available from the St. Begh's Bookshop).
In this illustration, St. Begh is shown with the staff of an Abbess, a boat for her sea crossing, a lily for her virginity and carrying in her arm the Church of St. Begh.
The Caption, S.BEGHA.ORA.PRO.NOBIS, reads "St. Begh pray for us"
Child abuse in the Catholic Church has been such a focus of public attention recently, that we, the Bishops of England and Wales, wish to address this issue directly and unambiguously.
Catholics are members of a single universal body. These terrible crimes, and the inadequate response by some church leaders, grieve us all.
Our first thoughts are for all who have suffered from the horror of these crimes, which inflict such severe and lasting wounds. They are uppermost in our prayer. The distress we feel at what has happened is nothing in comparison with the suffering of those who have been abused.
The criminal offences committed by some priests and religious are a profound scandal. They bring deep shame to the whole church. But shame is not enough. The abuse of children is a grievous sin against God. Therefore we focus not on shame but on our sorrow for these sins. They are the personal sins of only a very few. But we are bound together in the Body of Christ and, therefore, their sins touch us all.
We express our heartfelt apology and deep sorrow to those who have suffered abuse, those who have felt ignored, disbelieved or betrayed. We ask their pardon, and the pardon of God for these terrible deeds done in our midst. There can be no excuses.
Furthermore, we recognise the failings of some Bishops and Religious leaders in handling these matters. These, too, are aspects of this tragedy which we deeply regret and for which we apologise. The procedures now in place in our countries highlight what should have been done straightaway in the past. Full co-operation with statutory bodies is essential.
Now, we believe, is a time for deep prayer of reparation and atonement. We invite Catholics in England and Wales to make the four Fridays in May 2010 special days of prayer. Even when we are lost for words, we can place ourselves in silent prayer. We invite Catholics on these days to come before the Blessed Sacrament in our parishes to pray to God for healing, forgiveness and a renewed dedication. We pray for all who have suffered abuse; for those who mishandled these matters and added to the suffering of those affected. From this prayer we do not exclude those who have committed these sins of abuse. They have a journey of repentance and atonement to make.
We pray also for Pope Benedict, whose wise and courageous leadership is so important for the Church at this time.
In our dioceses we will continue to make every effort, working with our safeguarding commissions, to identify any further steps we can take, especially concerning the care of those who have suffered abuse, including anyone yet to come forward with their account of their painful and wounded past. We are committed to continuing the work of safeguarding, and are determined to maintain openness and transparency, in close co-operation with the statutory authorities in our countries. We thank the thousands who give generously of their time and effort to the Church’s safeguarding work in our parishes and dioceses.
We commit ourselves afresh to the service of children, young people and the vulnerable in our communities. We have faith and hope in the future. The Catholic Church abounds in people, both laity, religious and clergy, of great dedication, energy and generosity who serve in parishes, schools, youth ventures and the care of elderly people. We also thank them. The Holy Spirit guides us to sorrow and repentance, to a firm determination to better ways, and to a renewal of love and generosity towards all in need.
22nd APRIL 2010
Child abuse in the Catholic Church has been such a focus of public attention recently, that we, the Bishops of England and Wales, wish to address this issue directly and unambiguously.
Catholics are members of a single universal body. These terrible crimes, and the inadequate response by some church leaders, grieve us all.
Our first thoughts are for all who have suffered from the horror of these crimes, which inflict such severe and lasting wounds. They are uppermost in our prayer. The distress we feel at what has happened is nothing in comparison with the suffering of those who have been abused.
The criminal offences committed by some priests and religious are a profound scandal. They bring deep shame to the whole church. But shame is not enough. The abuse of children is a grievous sin against God. Therefore we focus not on shame but on our sorrow for these sins. They are the personal sins of only a very few. But we are bound together in the Body of Christ and, therefore, their sins touch us all.
We express our heartfelt apology and deep sorrow to those who have suffered abuse, those who have felt ignored, disbelieved or betrayed. We ask their pardon, and the pardon of God for these terrible deeds done in our midst. There can be no excuses.
Furthermore, we recognise the failings of some Bishops and Religious leaders in handling these matters. These, too, are aspects of this tragedy which we deeply regret and for which we apologise. The procedures now in place in our countries highlight what should have been done straightaway in the past. Full co-operation with statutory bodies is essential.
Now, we believe, is a time for deep prayer of reparation and atonement. We invite Catholics in England and Wales to make the four Fridays in May 2010 special days of prayer. Even when we are lost for words, we can place ourselves in silent prayer. We invite Catholics on these days to come before the Blessed Sacrament in our parishes to pray to God for healing, forgiveness and a renewed dedication. We pray for all who have suffered abuse; for those who mishandled these matters and added to the suffering of those affected. From this prayer we do not exclude those who have committed these sins of abuse. They have a journey of repentance and atonement to make.
We pray also for Pope Benedict, whose wise and courageous leadership is so important for the Church at this time.
In our dioceses we will continue to make every effort, working with our safeguarding commissions, to identify any further steps we can take, especially concerning the care of those who have suffered abuse, including anyone yet to come forward with their account of their painful and wounded past. We are committed to continuing the work of safeguarding, and are determined to maintain openness and transparency, in close co-operation with the statutory authorities in our countries. We thank the thousands who give generously of their time and effort to the Church’s safeguarding work in our parishes and dioceses.
We commit ourselves afresh to the service of children, young people and the vulnerable in our communities. We have faith and hope in the future. The Catholic Church abounds in people, both laity, religious and clergy, of great dedication, energy and generosity who serve in parishes, schools, youth ventures and the care of elderly people. We also thank them. The Holy Spirit guides us to sorrow and repentance, to a firm determination to better ways, and to a renewal of love and generosity towards all in need.
22nd APRIL 2010
