Archdiocese of Birmingham Newsletter 18th May 2023
| Heart speaks to Heart |
 Reflection – World Communications Day This year’s World Communications Day is celebrated on Sunday, 21 May 2023.The theme comes from Ephesians 4:15, Speaking with the heart – ‘The truth in love’. In his message to mark the day, Pope Francis stresses the need to listen before speaking truth with a pure heart to “see beyond appearances and overcome the vague din which, in the field of information, does not help us discern in the complicated world in which we live.” The Holy Father, warning against indifference and indignation, hails the example of the great Doctor of the Church, St Francis de Sales, in particular his commitment to patient, heartfelt dialogue. A gifted theologian, his phrase ‘Heart speaks to heart’ inspired many, none more so than the recently canonised Saint John Henry Newman, who chose the phrase as his cardinalatial motto, ‘Cor ad cor loquitur’. Catholics in England and Wales (and partiicularly here in the Archdiocese of Birmingham) will remember with affection that ‘Heart speaks unto heart’ was also the theme for Pope Benedict XVI’s historic visit to the UK in 2010. Bishop John Arnold, Lead Bishop for Communications World Communications Day |
 Corpus Christi Processions Sunday 11th June is the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. Send details of your town or city Corpus Christi processions, we are happy to advertise them in this newsletter. Send any information to [email protected] |
 NEXT WEEK: This month’s ‘Being A Welcoming Church’ online workshop The third session in the series takes place on Monday 22 May with a focus on Disability. Father Hudson’s Care (FHC) is working with the Archdiocese on this project. It is a call for action around four areas of great need – Older People, Disability, Refugees and Homelessness. The one-hour evening workshop includes the experience of those in parishes working at a local level and what parishioners are doing. All are welcome to join the session, registration now open. Being A Welcoming Church |
 You spoke, we are listening – the experience of LGBTQ+ Catholics in the Archdiocese As part of the continued Diocesan Response to the Synod all are welcome to join a meeting in Coventry on Sunday 21 May to discuss a way forward. . People from the LGBTQ+ community, their parents, friends and family are invited to a meeting at Christ the King on Sunday 21 May at 7pm to talk about their experience in the Catholic Church. Last year, as part of conversations taking place across the Archdiocese to respond to the Synod called for by Pope Francis, St Patrick’s in Coventry hosted a meeting specifically for the LGBTQ+ community to discuss their participation in the Catholic Church and what they wanted to say to the Synod. LGBTQ+ Catholics |
 Laudato Si’ Week From May 21 to 28, people around the world will come together to celebrate Laudato Si’ Week 2023, a commemoration dedicated to reflecting and acting upon the message of Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’. This year’s theme, “Hope for the Earth. Hope for humanity,” focuses on the connectedness of all things and the need for a renewed commitment to environmental justice. The Columban Way Pilgrimage 24-27 May 2023 The Columban Missionaries invite you to celebrate Pentecost and Laudato Si’ Week by joining them on a pilgrimage to reflect on ‘the cry of the Earth, the cry of the poor’. A Columban group of ordained and lay pilgrims, led by Fr John Boles, will walk in the footsteps of St Columban from Padstow to Fowey in Cornwall from 24-27 May 2023. You are invited to join them as ‘virtual’ pilgrims and you can also sponsor them. Visit the event page at www.columbans.co.uk or email: [email protected] for more details and to register. Responding to the Call of Creation May’s edition can be found on the Diocesan website: Resources to Care for Creation. Laudato Si’ Week |
 Dr Sarah Johanesen – Priestly Disguise in Elizabethan and Jacobean England Wednesday 26 July 3.00-4.30pm, Harvington Hall, Worcestershire.During the reign of Elizabeth I and the following post-Reformation years disguise was essential for gaining access to Roman Catholic sacraments. This talk discusses how the materials and language of clothing, accessories, and personal appearance were used against Catholics, to emphasise the threat they posed. Both in conflict with Protestants and other Catholics, appearance could become a political weapon. Tickets £10, part of the Harvington History Festival. Priestly Disguise Event |
 Pact Roadshow rolls into Birmingham This summer Pact, the national Catholic charity supporting prisoners and their families, will be hosting an event in the Archdiocese of Birmingham. Organised in partnership with Caritas Birmingham, the roadshow will take place on Saturday 15 July in the Grimshaw Room on the St Chad’s Cathedral site. It will be opened by Archbishop Bernard Longley. All are welcome to meet Pact CEO Andy Keen-Downs, staff and volunteers working in the area, and its Faith in Action team, as well as prison chaplains and The Welcome Directory, a multi-faith charity. Registration is now open. Pact Roadshow |
 Are your Quinquennial Inspections up to date? This session is for those looking to get a QI, have a QI and not sure what to do with it, or not sure about certain aspects of the QI. We will be discussing the useful tool of Parish Action Plans and how they can help you budget and maintain your properties. Keep an eye on the website for up and coming topics for these surgeries. When available they can be found under Parish Resources. As always Tom and Tarnia from the Archdiocesan Property Team can be contacted at:T[email protected] [email protected] |
 Do you have a spare room in your home and a heart for those in need? SJOG Homes for Ukraine is seeking hosts to open their homes to individuals and families displaced by the ongoing war in Ukraine. As an official provider of the government programme, SJOG Homes for Ukraine provides matching, training and ongoing support to hosts and guests. SJOG Homes for Ukraine ensures that the match is right by creating matches based on the requirements and preferences of both parties, mediating introductory calls for you to meet the family you will be hosting, paying for transfer from the Ukrainian border to the airport nearest to your home, providing a Welcome Box for Ukrainian guests upon arrival to make them feel welcome, as well as providing cultural orientation and training to both hosts and guests to ensure a successful living arrangement. This can be an opportunity for you to change someone’s life and provide them with a safe place. Not only that, but you can also learn about Ukrainian culture, enrich your own life, and form a meaningful connection with those you will be helping. Urgent appeal for hosts |
 Unlocking Ukraine: A Journey through Language, Culture, and History As part of their new partnership, the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (Ukraine) and the University of Birmingham (UK) are co-hosting a summer school on Ukrainian language, history and culture from 17-28 July 2023 at Birmingham’s leafy Edgbaston campus in the heart of the UK.Since Russia’s invasion of February 2022, interest in Ukraine and its rich culture has surged to unprecedented levels in the UK. In response, the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv and the University of Birmingham have partnered to offer an exclusive opportunity for 30 participants to immerse themselves in the beauty of the Ukrainian language and the complexity of the country’s history and culture. Registration is open and free to all UK students and the wider public. Choose from full-time participation, which includes engaging language-learning sessions, or part-time enrolment for participants who prefer a more flexible schedule and do not wish to have language training. Application deadline: Sunday 21 May Unlocking Ukraine Summer School |
 Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer Land Blessing The Eternal Wall Team invites you, along with your family and friends to join other supporters on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 June, between 10am and 5.00pm, for a two-hour visit of private reflection, prayer and dedication. Land Blessing |
 Online Academic Forum St John Henry Newman Research Centre for Catholic Theology Presents:A Catholic Geopolitics? A Retrospective on the Major Papal Writings of Francis by Professor Graham McAleer Wednesday 14 June, 6.00pm. All Welcome. Join us online for the latest in a series of occasional, public seminars by Maryvale academics. A Catholic Geopolitics? |
 Summer Camp- 13th-17th August Every summer, Kenelm and Life Teen UK host a summer camp for young people aged 12-18 from across the country. The camp lasts a week and involves a range of exciting activities. The camp is based at Alton Castle, making use of the activities Alton Castle have on site, visiting the nearby theme park Alton Towers, as well as heading off to a variety of different places for fun and games. Alongside this, summer camp provides spaces and times for prayer, adoration and for young Catholics to connect and gather together. Financial bursaries are available for young people in the Archdiocese who require extra support. Summer Camp – Find Out More |
 Day of Celebration sharing in the gifts of people who experience disability From 2 – 6 July at Aylesford Carmelite Priory Kent, the Kairos Forum will be undertaking a series of unique events that celebrate the gifts of creative people who experience disability as well as sharing in Steinian wisdom, as we finally meet with Edith Stein on English soil. This will be one of the first international events of its kind, introducing new areas of study including issues surrounding disability.The events are as follows: Event 1 (2 July) Day of Celebration sharing in the gifts of people who experience disability This Day of Celebration would be a perfect moment for a parish pilgrimage, discovering the gifts of symbolic catechesis and Liturgy… All are welcome. Event 2 (4 July – 6 July 23) Three-day Conference: Dignitas Personae et Amor Dei: The Value of the Human Person and Divine Love; Meeting Edith Stein Day 1 The Value of the Human Person Day 2 The Person in Community Day 3 The Human and the Divine Kairos Forum |
 Jobs and opportunities across the Archdiocese Including: Part-time Chaplain at HMYOI Swinfen Hall – deadline to apply is Friday 19 May. Head Teacher at St George’s Catholic Primary School, Worcester. September 2023 start. College Priest Chaplain at Mount St Mary’s College, Derbyshire. September 2023 start. Two exciting youth ministry opportunities: Kenelm Youth Trust (KYT)’s BCYS team is looking for an Encounter and Evangelisation worker to join their dynamic parish youth ministry team. Apply by Wednesday 24 May. KYT is also looking for a Digital Development Worker– apply by Friday 16 June. Jobs and Opportunities |
| Dates for your diary: the month ahead Sat 20 May: Christian Life Community Information Session Sun 21 May: Blessing of Hands at St Chad’s Cathedral Sun 21 May: World Communications Day Mon 22 May: Being a Welcoming Church: Session 3 – Disability Mon 22 May: Oxford Living Flame Group meeting Tue 23 May: Justice and Peace Forum Wed 24 May: Friendships: the Heart of Ecumenical Witness Wed 24 – Sat 27 May: Columban Way Pilgrimage Thu 25 May: Monasticism and Christian Unity Thu 1 June: Thursday Live Organ Recital Fri 2 – Sun 4 June: Praying with the Saints Retreat Sat 3 June: Brother Michael Strode’s Centenary Mass Wed 7 June: Restore Training, week 1 Fri 9 June: Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer Land Blessing Sat 10 June: A Celebration of Servant of God, John Bradburne Wed 14 June: ‘A Catholic Geopolitics? A Retrospective on the Major Papal Writings of Francis’ – online forum Wed 14 June: Restore Training, week 2 Sat 17 June: An Evening with St Thomas More Mon 19 June: Being a Welcoming Church: Session 4 – Homelessness |
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 Supporting your parish You have asked us how you can continue giving to your parish. Parishes still greatly need your support. We do though recognise that many parishioners may be struggling financially, and there is no expectation to give where you are unable to do so. You can donate via standing order or single donation. Support your Parish |
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