Inter-faith Day

The annual Inter Faith Day organised by Katharina Müller, Interreligious Adviser to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, was one which was highly illuminating and engaging for all concerned.

The day began with glorious sunshine, bathing the interns with its mid-November warmth, as we made the short walk to the Al Manaar Islamic Centre. We were greeted by a very welcoming and jovial member of the community, called Fahim, who was to be our guide for the visit (He was called Fahim). We were shown into the Centre and were given a tour around the entire facility, including the mosque area.

The tour allowed the group to see the inner workings of a mosque and the various elements to it including; a carefully monitored library, a crèche, toilets with extensive ablution facilities in line with Muslim practices. The carefully sculpted furniture and décor was all embossed with Arabic script from the Quran.

(Lucy, Stephen, Dominic, Matthew, Fahim and the Imam)

On completing the tour we then had a spot of traditional mint tea and baklava whilst Fahim answered some questions that the interns had. We were then guided to the Friday prayer ceremony, the girls to the balcony which had screens so that their view was restricted, and the men to the mosque itself. The imam began with a sermon in Arabic that lasted over half an hour and then gave a brief story in English. At this point the male interns were asked to leave the room so that the congregation could complete their cycles of prayer. The numbers present at the ceremony were vast and the 3 rooms in the mosque could not accommodate all of the men.

Afterwards the women were allowed back into the company of the men and the Director of the mosque came to say a brief hello and offered a warm welcome to us. The misconception was that we were all on a “Bishops Training Scheme”, something which we were quick to point out was against the laws of the Church and utterly absurd!

We were then given Fahim’s email address, mobile number, BBM code, Facebook, Twitter and other such means of communication if we had any further questions.

On leaving the mosque we made our way across London for a deliciously pescatarian lunch in the company of our mentor and guide Edward Davies (unfortunately on this occasion Julia was otherwise engaged).

This was swiftly followed with a rather unique tour of religious artefacts in the V&A museum which was an experience not to be forgotten easily. The amount of artefacts shown and the extremely thorough explanations of each one’s origin, purpose, potential owner and star sign engaged the interns for over two hours. We all had a marvellous time.

Annual Theos Lecture 2011

General Lord Richard Dannatt last night delivered the Annual Theos Lecture, entitled “The Battle for Hearts and Minds: Morality and Warfare Today”.

The lecture was a mixture of practical aspects of military ventures as well as reflections on how changes in society have affected the attitude of the men and women who serve in the armed forces, referred to by Dannatt as the “raw material”.

The lecture was littered with references to recent alarming activity including the summer riots, the phone hacking crisis and MP’s expenses scandal to name but a few. Dannatt contended that the public outrage at these incidences was based on moral objections, even more so than legal or financial grievances.

This is interesting given that if you only read the tabloids, you would think that 90% of society was involved in all these wanton activities, not opposing them. Dannatt noted that the decline in moral standards is something that the army cannot accept but it is not the job of the military to enforce morality in society at large. This would lead us down a very slippery slope.

Lord Dannatt also spoke of good leadership qualities and the way in which these should be cultivated. He believed that it is farcical to say people are either born natural leaders or not, although of course there are certain innate tendencies that can be of great help. This was a thought provoking point for those interns wishing to enter public life.

This internship, in fact, epitomises many of the ways the Church is able to have a positive influence on young people, especially those entering public service. The “social and economic liberalism” blamed by Dannatt for the descent of moral standards can be combated in many ways by a holistic approach to the individual, such as this internship provides. Not only are we expected to take on professional responsibilities, but to explore ethics at an academic level at Heythrop and develop a better understanding of ourselves in relation to our faith through spiritual direction.

After the lecture we descended into a beautiful marble reception room and spoke at length to the Bishop of the Armed Forces, Richard Moth, pictured with us below. We also met Caroline Wyatt, the BBC’s long-standing Defence Correspondent, who had chaired the question and answer session following the lecture.

Attending all these after-work lectures has had the indirect effect of making us all experts on canapés. The ones on offer last night were the best yet, with a selection of sweet and savoury mini delicacies. How will the canapés at the CAFOD memorial lecture next week compare...?

CAFOD Reception at Speakers House

Last night, three of the interns attended the CAFOD MP Correspondent reception, held in Speakers House.

The MP Correspondents are a group of loyal CAFOD supporters who take it upon themselves to write to their MP’s with different ‘campaign actions’ suggested by CAFOD. The MP Correspondents are asked to write to their MP three times a year and are supported by CAFOD with sample letters and briefs, as well as opportunities to share ideas with other MP Correspondents.

The reception last night was one such occasion where MP Correspondents met with one another, along with MP’s and CAFOD staff involved in furthering CAFOD’s cause in parliament. Thanks to the pure persistence and dedication the MP Correspondents have shown to CAFOD campaigns over the years, some real advancements have been made in passing proactive legislation designed to help those most vulnerable in the developing world. More recently, supporters have secured tough climate change laws, and seen billions of pounds of debt cancelled.

Speakers at last night’s reception included Tom Clarke MP, Chris Bain, director of CAFOD, Bishop John Arnold, who is now the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and pictured above, and Baroness Stowell. All spoke of their gratitude for the support MP Correspondents give to CAFOD and the necessity of keeping up the good work, helping politicians to make tough decisions by showing that the public believe in bettering the lives of those still living in unimaginable poverty.

It was an interesting opportunity for the interns to meet with people working in development and for Dominic and Marie to see another side of work they are involved with. Tonight we are all off to the Theos Annual  lecture, to be given by General Lord Richard Dannatt on, “The Battle for Hearts and Minds: Morality and Warfare Today”, watch this space for our verdict...

Out and about with Bishop Alan

I’ll admit that before going to the Westway Travellers site my only knowledge of the travelling community had been gained from watching ‘My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding’ last year whilst still at uni, probably in bed with a hangover, sipping a black coffee and mustering the energy to lift a spoon full of cereal to my mouth as it gaped open at the ten year olds gyrating in brightly coloured mardi-gras style outfits.

What a misconception.

The Travellers I met at the Westway site this week were some of the most friendly and hospitable people I’d ever encountered, not to mention religious. Everywhere I looked pictures and statues of saints, Jesus and the Virgin Mary adorned doors, walls and car rear-view mirrors. Sr Petronia, who had organised the visit, also told me about the travelling community’s generosity in giving to the Church and charities.

The excitement of the Bishop’s visit was palpable in the crowd that had gathered to greet him, as we got out of the car and began shaking hands with young men and women, small children and older members of the community.

Not everyone was as keen on meeting the Bishop face to face, but as we made our way through the site pristine net-curtains twitched in the front of caravans veiling those inside too shy or suspicious to come outside.

Mass was held in a porter-cabin that is normally used as a crèche or nursery. Around twenty people were waiting for us, having set up a small table as an altar. Generations of the same family sat side-by-side with grandmothers cooing over newborn babies and young mothers fussing over toddlers. Heavy gold jewellery clinked against each other as late comers hurried in and by the end of Mass the congregation had almost doubled.

After Mass, Bishop Hopes went to see each family and blessed their homes, cars, pets, children, unborn babies and religious figurines. As we got in the car to leave he turned to me and said, with a smile, “That’s what it’s all about, Lucy, you can’t be a Bishop from behind a desk.” I am really glad my first encounter with the travelling community was such a positive one.

The Inaugural Newman Lecture

On a mild morning in late October, as leaves littered the pavements of Berkeley Square, the interns made their way to Farm Street for Mass and a thought provoking discussion with Fr James regarding the nature of the human person. This was a good opportunity to reflect on the week ending and discuss some areas of Catholic Social Teaching that are central to our daily work.

Following from these discussions the interns then prepared for the inaugural Newman Lecture, organised by the Catholic Bishops Conference. The evening promised to be an interesting and humorous affair, Frank Cottrell Boyce (who delivered the lecture) did not disappoint. The author, screen writer and co-organiser of the Olympic 2012 Opening Ceremony, was on fine form. In a well-attended Notre Dame Lecture Hall, Frank (author of “Millions”) had the audience captivated with witty quips about the nature of Saints and Sainthood, as well as providing an interesting glimpse into some of Newman’s life and work.  The lecture was followed by a brief question and answer session where Frank was asked about his life and work, as well as questions regarding Newman himself.

The reception after the lecture was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The interns mingled and met with many different people, as well as enjoying the refreshments which were all the more satisfying given the plague of food poisoning that was an unfortunate consequence of cold fish fingers the week previously.

The opportunity to listen to speakers such as Frank and to meet new people, both in the clergy and laity, was one which the interns found most rewarding. We will now look forward to the “Inter-Faith Day” which is due to be held in two weeks time.

This week has been another busy one for the interns. On Thursday night we attended the Tablet’s annual lecture, this year given by the Right Rev Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. The title of the lecture was 'Holiness Today: The Formation of the Human Heart'. The Archbishop spoke of how we are all on our own pathways to finding God and understanding His presence in our lives. Not only did he speak for over an hour but also answered a question and answer session on a variety of points people had picked up on his lecture. Having heard a lot of politicians speak over the past few weeks, we all admired how genuine and honest the Archbishop appeared to be when he spoke and told him so when we met him after the lecture.

After our meeting with Fr James the next day, we took a train to Oxford to attend the Anscombe Memorial Lecture. Professor Robert P George, from Princeton University, gave this year’s lecture, entitled "Science, Philosophy and Religion in the Embryo Debate.” Although none of us have a special interest in medical ethics, the lecture was very thought provoking.

We took advantage of the drinks reception after the lecture (some more so than others) and the opportunity it gave us to talk to other people who had attended the lecture. We then went for dinner at Oriel College, where Cardinal Henry Newman was a fellow, and is commemorated with beautiful stained glass windows in what was his personal Oratory.

As everyone has been so busy settling into their new jobs and routines, we haven’t been together as a group for a fortnight. It was great to catch up with everyone on Friday and hear about what we’ve all been up to. 

From left to right: Michaela, Daniel, Dominic, Stephen, Matthew, Lucy and Marie (and Edward Davies)

Catholic Parliamentary Interns 2011/12: Retreat to Drumalis

As temperatures in London soared to record heights for this time of year, the 2011/12 Catholic Parliamentary Interns zipped up their jackets, grabbed their umbrellas and headed out for a bracing walk along the coast of East coast of Northern Ireland. Ignoring texts inviting us to bbq’s back home, we made (yet another) cup of tea and tried not to think about the last burst of summer we were missing out on.

It was easy not to dwell on this, however, as we navigated our way through Morning Prayer, informal discussions led by Fr James Hanvey, Mass, Adoration and, of course, meal times, during the first of our retreats this year.

We stayed at Drumalis, near Larne in Northern Ireland, which is a beautiful retreat centre with everything you need for a peaceful weekend including beautiful grounds, a small yet striking chapel and comfortable accommodation.

Having had an intense week of meetings and induction days, Drumalis allowed us to stop and take stock of the incredibly fortunate position we find ourselves in. The tranquillity experienced at Drumalis standing in stark contrast to the hectic lifestyles we’ve thrown ourselves into in London.

We shared personal experiences and opinions about prayer and faith, what we hoped for this year and how we feel about being young Catholics in today’s increasingly secular society.

We also shared a couple of cheeky Chinese take-aways and got to see people in different lights. As we will be spending a lot of time together this year it was important for us to find common ground, other than our faith.

The time we spent in Drumalis has given us a solid foundation for the journey we are all about to embark on as we take up our placements, a journey that is bound to be both professionally challenging and spiritually rewarding.