Below:  Diocesan Project in Kompong Chhnang, Cambodia || Holy Land Project 2010 in Al Wahadneh ||

TWO NEW PRIESTS FOR EAST ANGLIA

10th July was a great day for the Diocese of East Anglia, with our first priestly ordinations for nine years.  Over 1000 people from across the diocese and elsewhere packed into St John's Cathedral in Norwich for the ordination of Michael Collis (from Ipswich) and Luke Goymour (from Peterborough).  Those in the congregation included the families and friends of the new priests, staff and students from Oscott College, coachloads of people from different parishes, and five visitors from our twin diocese in Cambodia.  Bishop Michael is pictured above with the just newly-ordained Fr Michael (left) and Fr Luke (right).

THE SPIRIT IS MOVING...

It has been very warm in East Anglia over the last few weeks (27th June - 8th July), far too warm for the average East Angle, but those days were full of special celebrations in the diocese, with many signs of the Holy Spirit at work - hopefully melting and moulding hearts and souls as well as our bodies.

124 young people (mostly aged around 15) received the Sacrament of Confirmation, in Thetford, two Cambridge parishes (OLEM and St Laurence's), Bury St Edmunds, Peterborough (St Luke's) and St Ives. At that age, whatever the challenges and distractions, they seemed cheerfully ready and willing to go out as Apostles, like those at the first Pentecost.  Two of those celebrations took place as we remembered Sts Peter and Paul, wonderful inspirations to anyone being confirmed.

On Friday 2nd July, hundreds of children from Norfolk gathered at the National Shrine at Walsingham for Mass.  They were all from the 'feeder schools' for Notre Dame High School in Norwich.  The focus was on the need to listen to God amidst all the noise of our daily lives.  So often, God speaks to us in silence.  Indeed, silence is God's word, his word of love to each of us.  We can only hear that word if we make space for God amidst the noise.

Over 80 married couples gathered at the Cathedral on 3rd July for our annual Celebration of Marriage and Family Life.  Between them, they represented over 2,600 years of married life together, embodying God's great love for his people.  17 couples were celebrating their Golden Jubilees, and one couple their 65 years of marriage.

And on Sunday 4th July, again at Walsingham, a great gathering of the sick came together for Mass with the Sacrament of Anointing, the touch of the Risen Lord who brings a peace the world cannot give, even in the midst of fragility and suffering.

CHILDREN IN KOMPONG CHHNANG
Diocesan Cambodian Project 2010/2011

                                        

Our new diocesan project for Cambodia is to support the work of the Catholic community in Kompong Chhnang. Fr Franco, the parish priest, has restored a school building to serve 140 children; this will include a kindergarten. There is also special work to be done for children with mental disabilities, so often abandoned and ignored by others. Fr Franco wants to develop a centre for the disabled. As he put it, ‘there we can live the love we celebrate.’ Caring for the disabled in Cambodia is a challenge to the local culture.

If you would like to support this project, please send a cheque made payable to ‘RC Diocese of East Anglia’ to: 

Bishop Michael, Cambodia Project, 21 Upgate, Poringland, Norwich NR14 7SH (United Kingdom) 

AL-WAHADNEH

Holy Land Project 2010

 

Catechism Centre for St. Elijah’s Church  in Al-Wahadneh, Jordan

 

Last year, we raised much money to help buy bagpipes and drums for Catholic Scout groups in the Holy Land, supporting young people.

 

Our project for 2010, proposed by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, is to provide a room in the northern Jordanian town of Al-Wahadneh, the first time we have taken up a project in Jordan, which is part of the Latin Patriarchate.  Fr Humam, Chancellor of the Patriarchate, writes to us from Jerusalem:

 

‘Catechism is a very fundamental issue in Al-Wahadneh and in many other parishes in Jordan. In Al-Wahadneh we plan to build a special hall that will serve different purposes in the parish. This room will constitute a classroom for catechism for students who study in government schools and who do not get the chance to get any religious education.  This room will be also used for different activities in the parish.

 

This is a need regarding the elements to help our youth to like catechism and to concentrate, to give them the chance to have a clear idea about the dogmatic, spiritual and human part of our Christian faith.

 

This catechism centre will serve for all teachers and all students in the school (between kindergarten and 6^th grade) and our government school students (between 7^th and 13^th grades), and serve other activities especially with young families and the Legion of Mary. I believe strongly in creating a special atmosphere for catechism in our parishes, so that the pastoral work there will be more and more useful, and our youth will get the chance to learn better with audio and video facilities and get a clear vision.

 

There are a lot of elements needed to help the students, but unfortunately at the moment there are no materials to use, such as power-point programmes, films, songs, crafts, etc. To have a special classroom for catechism, we will need the following materials: bookshelves, chairs and tables, portable computer, big screen TV, spiritual books, prayer corner, etc.

 

Thank you all for helping us with this new project: it will be a great help to us.’

If you would like to support this project, please send a cheque made payable to ‘RC Diocese of East Anglia’ to: 

Bishop Michael, Al-Wahadneh Project, 21 Upgate, Poringland, Norwich NR14 7SH (United Kingdom)