CAFOD Lenten funding boost. During the Lenten season funds raised for CAFOD are worth twice a much as usual because the government is matching every pound raised by CAFOD between 17 February and 17 May 2012. Even if you send the money after the end date, as long as it was raised during the Lenten period, its value will be doubled! Parishes and Schools are encouraged to make a special effort to raise some funding for CAFOD and take advantage of this valuable opportunity. If you give monthly to CAFOD you may care to consider whether you can afford to make your annual donation all at once in this period so as to maximise the benefit to CAFOD. See also http://www.dfid.gov.uk/ukaidmatch
16th June. CAFOD 50th Anniversary Mass. This year we celebrate 50 years since the Bishops of England and Wales officially set up CAFOD. Since those early days, CAFOD has been rooted in our parishes and schools, with key contacts across the Catholic Community. To celebrate our 50 years of fighting poverty overseas, we are gathering for a celebration with Bishop Peter at Northampton Cathedral on Saturday, 16 June with mass starting at 1pm [be in your seats by 12.45]. Each parish in the Diocese has been invited to send representatives, and all are welcome. If you would like to receive an invitation, please contact the Diocesan CAFOD Office with your name, address and parish. We are also inviting school and parish choirs and singers to form an invitation choir. If you would like to be part of the choir on the day, please click here and follow the links to a music list and rehearsal details. There will also be an exhibition featuring stories and quotes from our history – some of which are in our celebration book: 50 years: 50 voices. This will be on display in the cathedral. We look forward to welcoming you there.Diocesan Mass to mark CAFOD's 50th Anniversary: at the Cathedral, 1pm. All supporters of Justice and Peace very welcome to attend but please arrange an invitation so we can keep on ot of numbers. (Very light refreshments will be provided but please make your own arrangements for lunch.)
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The 2011 Diocesan Justice & Peace Conference took place on 15th October at St John the Apostle, in Luton.Archbishop Kevin McDonald was the keynote speaker on the Bishops’ Conference document: ‘Meeting God in Friend and Stranger’ about relationswith other religions. More than 50 attended and they included Bishop Peter and several members of the clergy.
The conference began with a liturgy led by the Justice and Peace group from Cardinal Newman School. J&P coordinator Fr Tony Brennan welcomed Archbishop Kevin.
In his talk Archbishop Kevin said that was the first time a Bishops’Conference had produced a document on ecumenism and inter-religious relations.He spoke of the history of Christianity from the decree of Constantine that Christianity should be the religion of the Holy Roman Empire and the spread of orthodoxy into Russia. The councils of the Church, Chalcedon and Trent,defined Catholic Doctrine and decreed those who did not accept it asanathema. At which point the Coptic, Syran Orthodox and Armenians separated.
He said in the USA relations between Christians are quite different from Europe as it was founded on religious freedom. And this idea was introduced at Vatican II, though not without opposition. Pope Paul VI developed the idea of dialogue, with other Christians first, and then with other religions.The Second Vatican Council made no juridical decisions, no anathemas,and addressed the secular world.
Bishops from Africa and Asia brought adifferent mindset to the council. The Jews were affirmed as ‘elder brothers’, not guilty of deicide and were accepted as part of God’s design.The heart of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, he said, is a strong monotheism, whereas Eastern religions are all about the person eventually becoming at one with nature.So the council which originally began to deal with relations with the Jews developed to encompass all religions. The idea is to identify the elementsof truth and goodness that we share," he said.
"Why is it important today?" he asked. "Because for there to be peace in the world there must be peace between religions and there must be dialogue.Pope John Paul II, in Redemptoris Missio said that people can work their way to God in the framework of another religion - a very strong thing to say!" He spoke of Pope John Paul’s meeting with other religious at Assisi and Pope Benedict’s return for the 25th anniversary this October.He said that people have said that religion causes wars - 9/11 and Northern Ireland - but that fanatics cannot claim to be doing violent thingsfor their religion.
All these developments have encouraged us to accept that there must be conversation."I think it is extremely difficult to evangelise at this time but we must share our faith, and sharing with people of other faiths is part of that. And that is what you are doing in Justice and Peace. And if we can do that, in solidarity with other religions, that is good. The right attitude is to be concerned about poverty, about peace, and do what you can from the point of fidelity to the Gospel!"
NYMO ran a workshop on working with young people. They had many ideas to engage their interest in activities, groups such as J&P, CAFOD, PaxChristi which have sections for young people. There is a Lux weekend in February ‘Challenge to Sainthood’ with Fr Timothy Radcliffe.
The Grassroots workshop on Universal Peace showed that what is happeningin Luton is putting ‘Meeting God in Friend and Stranger’ into concrete form.
Donna Gardener ran a workshop on Catholic social teaching on working with prisoners and prisons. She spoke of the recent increase in prison populations,the backgrounds and roots of the offenders and possible ways of reversing the trend. She quoted Pope John Paul II who said "Prisons should not be a corrupting experience, a place of idleness and even vice, but instead a Place of Redemption"
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For the National Justice & Peace Network Calendar – see website here and check out the Rolling Diary for monthly events