Ok still a lot of rubble we know, but hey its coming along…Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Follow the journey of the Diocesan Centre for Youth Ministry situated at St Aloysius Parish, Somers Town from beginning to completion in autumn of 2012, here on our blogsite. We will provide updates and pictures every so often on how work is progressing.

The Centre for Youth Ministry when completed will be a fantastic addition to our diocesan family and will be accessible via excellent transport links. This includes parishes in Hertfordshire which are served by train services to Euston and Kings Cross.

One of the Centre’s primary concerns will be the support and development of parish based youth ministry. A key aspect of its work will be the provision of training and resources for paid and volunteer youth leaders. We hope to work closely with the cross section of national youth movements and to host youth events, conferences and other networking opportunities.

Fr. Michael O’Boy who has pastoral oversight for Youth Ministry in the Diocese of Westminster, had this to say regarding the development of the new centre:

“Work has now begun at St Aloysius, Somers Town (a few hundred yards from Euston and Kings Cross, St Pancras). From the autum St Aloysius will be home to the new Diocesan Centre for Youth Ministry, the principal aim of which is the support and growth of parish based youth ministry. At the end of the project the refurbished Parish Centre will provide office and work space for the Centre for Youth Ministry. The parish will be provided with a completely refurbished Hall, meeting room, kitchen and toilet facilities which the Centre for Youth Ministry will have access to for larger events. The project is due to be completed in October. Over the coming months we will keep you posted with regular pictures of the progress. For now, as you can see, the builders have begun the process of stripping out.”
 

Exciting times lie ahead for Youth Ministry in our diocese and we look forward to collaborating with you in the Church’s mission of evangelisation.

It was fantastic to see so many young people take part in a Pro-Life Prayer Vigil in Bedford Square clinic on Friday 30 March 2012 organised by 40 Days for Life, London. Bishop Alan Hopes and Fr David Reilly, Diocesan Youth Chaplain led participants in prayer for a greater respect for life in our nation. Robert Colquhoun the Campaign Co-ordinator, stated that 400 - 500 were in attendance. Catholic young adult groups in the Diocese of Westminster such as Soul Food and Juventutem were instrumental in encouraging many young people to attend as well as many parish priests who advertised it in their newsletters. Clergy who participated from Westminster Diocese included amongst others Fr Digby Samuels, Fr Graham Stokes and Fr Gerard O’Brien. Mgr John Armitage, Vicar General from Brentwood, also attended with a good number of his fellow clergy; from Southwark, Fr Andrew Southwell and Deacon James Bradley. There were also many others.

In our last blog post, we mentioned how Christians came together at Trafalgar Square recently for a concert calling for religious freedom in Pakistan – and to remember Shahbaz Bhatti the Pakistani Minorities Minister who gave his life for the Catholic faith. The event was sponsored by Aid to the Church in Need, a fantastic charity that does so much to raise the profile of persecuted Christians around the world. Those who came to participate in prayer at the 40 Days Pro Life Prayer Vigil know that there was considerable hostility aimed towards them, unpleasant though this was, this is nothing compared to the persecution of Christians in many countries, where there are many more real consequences for being faithful to Christ - severe discrimination, injustice, verbal and physical abuse, sexual assaults, imprisonment, torture and even death. Every day Christians around the world are carrying their Cross. They are making difficult personal choices to witness to their faith. Pope Benedict XVI stated “[Religious freedom is] the first of the human rights, for it expresses the most fundamental reality of the person.”

On the 17th May, the Aid to the Church in Need will be organising a fantastic event, there will be a sung Mass to celebrate the memory of the Martyrs, a rally for Religious Freedom on the Cathedral piazza, with speeches, music, drama, dance, poetry and film, with groups. Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster will also be there to greet participants on the piazza. This will be followed by a Candlelight Vigil. Performers on the Night of Witness include: Catholic band Ooberfuse, winners of the World Youth Day 2011 global song contest, Eliot Smith Dance Company debuting new piece Persecuted and Forgotten, singer Helen Munt, West End Gospel Choir, musician Hammad Baily and Catholic poet Sarah de Nordwall. Please do all you can to spread the word about this event, once again it would be fantastic if many young people attended to show solidarity for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ around the world. More information can be found here.

On Saturday 10th March Christians of many different traditions came together at Trafalgar Square for a concert calling for religious freedom in Pakistan – and to remember Shahbaz Bhatti who gave his life for the Catholic faith. The event was organised by the British Christian Pakistani Association and sponsored by Aid to the Church in Need. Mr Bhatti, the then Federal Minister for Minority Affairs in Pakistan, was shot dead last year in March 2011 whilst travelling to work in Islamabad. As the cabinet’s only Christian minister, he had received death threats for urging reform to blasphemy laws.

At the event the youthful Catholic pop band Ooberfuse also performed their single ‘Blood Cries Out’ in memory of Shahbaz Bhatti at a three hour concert in Trafalgar Square. Ooberfuse describe their vision as being ‘to infuse the increasingly moribund traditions of western pop with fresh vigour’ on their website.

This was followed by a presentation of a petition at 10 Downing Street calling for changes to Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, which people claim are being used at the whim of extremists to persecute Christians.

Tributes to Shahbaz Bhatti came from Cardinal Keith Patrick O’Brien, the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, and Bishop Declan Lang of Clifton, Chairman of the International Affairs Department of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and Fr.Tim Finigan, Parish Priest of Our Lady of the Rosary, Blackfen.

The Cardinal gave his blessing to the gathered assembly by the message he sent: “I add my voice to yours calling for real justice for Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan who have been accused of blasphemy..Shahbaz Bhatti was truly a witness, a martyr, and may we also have the courage to testify to what we believe in our own lives as he did.” Similarly Bishop Lang wrote: “Shahbaz Bhatti had a vision for a more tolerant society, formed by his own deep faith. His heroic witness serves as an inspiration and a challenge to us all.” Fr. Tim also said a few inspirational words in person to encourage the crowds who gathered.

Our Holy Father said recently on Mr Bhatti, “All too often, for various reasons the right to religious freedom remains limited or is flouted. I cannot raise this subject without first paying tribute to the memory of the Pakistani Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, whose untiring battle for the rights of minorities ended in his tragic death”.

The story of Shahbaz Bhatti of course, could be a great way of getting our young people in a lesson at school or an evening on social justice at a parish, to think about how we can show solidarity with persecuted Christians around the world who are suffering.

Aid to the Church in Need is holding a Vigil for suffering Christians around the world on Thursday 17 May at Westminster Cathedral, 5:30pm, Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Declan Lang. More details can be found here.

With the recent sad ruling that commercial organisations will now be able to advertise their abortion services on TV as mentioned by Robert Colquhoun of 40 Days for Life in our last blog post, it is time for more young people of the diocese to show their support for life. Thousands upon thousands of young people in America attend the March for Life rally in DC every year in conjunction with their bishops and it is time for more young people over here to also stand up for life.

If you are a young parishioner of the diocese why not join Bishop Alan Hopes and Diocesan Youth Chaplain, Fr. David Reilly at 7pm on the 30th March in praying for a greater respect for life in our nation?

Last year Bishop Hopes joined the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants in Twickenham to lead a pro-life vigil at a BPAS abortion facility.

The organisers of this vigil, 40 Days for Life London, feel very blessed to have Bishop Alan Hopes and Fr. David Reilly with them and are looking forward to seeing many young people participating at the vigil.

Location: BPAS London Central, 26 -27 Bedford Square, London WC1B  (Nearest tube stations: Goodge Street or Tottenham Court Road).

By Robert Colquhoun

With the sad news that television will screen pro-abortion adverts, here are 10 ways in which young people can help to end abortion and build a culture of life.

1/ Pray, discern and ask God to show you a way that you can help to end abortion in our country.

2/ Read 50 ways to help unborn and their mothers by Randy Alcorn. Accomplish as many as you can!

3/ Send your Priest/Pastor or Religious leader a copy of ways that Priests can end abortion (adapt if necessary). Also see bulletin inserts, preaching, liturgy and prayers.

4/ Examine your conscience regularly on whether you are doing enough to fight abortion.

5/ Participate in Prayer Vigils, volunteer for pro-life organizations and go onto the streets to proclaim life! Helpers of God’s Precious Infants, Good Counsel Network and SPUC are good places to start.

6/ Get well formed with Pro-life arguments. read Randy Alcorn’s Why pro-life, read quotes, magazine, endingabortion mp3s, ending abortion UK version as well as Priests for life. Know how to articulate your beliefs to give a voice for the voiceless.

7/ Encourage and promote the work of post abortion counselling and chastity education… give a talk or provide resources for your local school or parish.

8/ Make a film, tell a story, tell a personal testimony, tell all your friends positive and upbeats news that life begins at conception.

“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” Elie Wiesel

9/ Conduct community outreach - take a positive and upbeat pro-life message to all areas of the city through grass roots activism. Equip, inform, educate and inspire others to believe in a nation where no more babies die and no more women cry.

“…go out on the streets and into public places.. woe to you if you do not succeed in defending life..” Pope John Paul II, World Youth Day 1993.

10/ Write to your local community leaders, MPs, councillors showing how strongly you feel on the issue and what can be done to build a culture of life.

Robert Colquhoun is the founder of 40 Days for Life London, an organisation that strives to support the dignity of womenhood and the protection of the unborn.  Their events have been supported in Westminster by several parishes and also Bishop Alan Hopes and Episcopal Vicar, Fr Paschal Ryan.  For more information on the activities they run for young people and young adults see our events section.

Have you ever had an Evangelical Christian say to you, “I love Jesus but hate religion” ? Here is a video that is doing the rounds on the internet, facebook walls etc, that expresses this sentiment:

And here is a possible Catholic response by another young person to this type of reasoning:

The Vatican more recently has reminded us Catholics that a spirit of apologetics is necessary so that we can answer the questions that those ask us about the faith. Defend your faith in love! (1 Peter 3:15)

One of the amazing things about the Church in London is the number of excellent groups and movements for young Catholics. As well as the parishes where you live and worship, there are a variety of powerful and inspiring events taking place all over the diocese. On our youth and young adults section that you are now viewing, you can find all kinds of information about the groups and events that are either coming up soon or taking place regularly. One such event is in St Aloysius’ Church that will soon be connected with our new Centre for Youth Ministry at Somers Town (Euston). This is a Lectio group for young Catholics. It promises to be a prayerful, exciting journey through the Mark’s Gospel. You can find all the details, and the details of other groups, on the website.

Our city and diocese also had many pilgrims at World Youth Day in Madrid. Many of your groups were present with the Holy Father, including our own diocesan group and many other Westminster movements, parishes, and youth groups. In all, hundreds of young Catholics from London experienced the amazing joy of WYD. If you were one of them, I hope that you are still carrying that joy with you and that the experience of WYD, together with the call of the Holy Father, is inspiring you now to be a witness and a friend of Jesus in this great city and country were we live as Christians.

Wishing you a blessed Advent and Christmastide

Fr. David Reilly is Diocesan Youth Chaplain

More and more young people are engaging in pro-life initiatives in the diocese, as the recent success of the 40 Days for Life campaign and the Catholic Boogie Night events have shown.

Episcopal Vicar Fr Paschal Ryan prayed with a large group of young people outside the BPAS abortion clinic in Bedford Square on November 4th as part of the 40 Days for Life campaign. Unfortunately Bishop Alan Hopes had to cancel his appointment to join the young people at the last minute, but the young people were grateful that Fr. Paschal could join them, including Fr.Alexander Sherbrooke Parish Priest of St.Patrick’s Soho.

Do continue to look at our events pages from time to time if you are interested in attending pro-life events in the Diocese of Westminster.

40 Days for Life, London is a group of predominately young people that aim to end abortion through spiritual means. It is their hope that through prayer, fasting, peaceful vigils and community outreach, they will help mark the end of abortion.

40 Days for Life is endorsed by many prominent national leaders in six countries and has helped many young women make the choice to keep their child rather than go through with an abortion.  Bishop Alan Hopes will join 40 days for Life London to lead them in prayer for an end to abortion and will arrive at the Bedford Square vigil for 7pm.

A few months ago Bishop Hopes joined the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants in Twickenham to lead a pro-life vigil at a BPAS abortion facility.

The organisers of this day feel very blessed to have Bishop Hopes with them and it will be the first time 40 Days for Life London have had a bishop join them in prayer at the vigil.

They are asking parishoners from the Diocese of Westminster to consider joining them.

More details can be found here.

Update 4/11/11: Unfortunately due to unforseen circumstances Bishop Alan Hopes is unable to make the vigil, but is keen to come at another date. There still will be prayers and a vigil as originally planned. Please do come and stand up for the unborn.