Brentwood & Westminster Leading the Way Amongst our Youth


How wonderful to hear that our Diocesan Youth Retreat Centre, Walsingham House, which is managed by two fine Catholic young men; Michael Barwick and Leighton Walker, recently received input from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) who help highlight the suffering of persecuted Christians. 

The Walsingham House team in their retreat work often speak about persecuted Christians, with reference to ACN.

Leighton has written some excellent things about the persecution of Christians on his blog, see here. He writes: 
As Christians, we are witnessing the persecution of our brothers and sisters throughout the world. We are not bound by blood, but we are bound by spirit. Let us not forget the words of St Paul about how we are one body with many parts. When one part suffers, every part suffers with it.
I also want to commend Westminster Diocese’s Youth Service for entering into partnership with ACN and highlighting their important ministry: see here.

I believe it so important for more of our diocesan youth services in England and Wales to help promote the ministry of ACN, which is a Pontifical Foundation of the Catholic Church. 

Pope Benedict XVI elevated this charity in 2011 to the status of a pontifical foundation due to its tremendous service to the Church over the years. 

Our Youth through ACN have an important part to play in standing up and taking action against the injustice of their fellow young Catholics suffering persecution across the world. Right now in Syria and Iraq, Christian girls are being kidnapped, raped and killed and young men are being beheaded because they love and profess the name of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

I think we as Catholics must remember that ‘faith without action is dead’ (James 2:24) and that we will be eternally judged by God to how we reach out to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer for the faith (Matt 25: 31-46, Gal 6:10).

Please donate financially to ACN, pray for their ministry and those who suffer for their faith and especially that youth services up and down the country will support them in their mission.

Keep up the God work Brentwood and Westminster in standing up for persecuted Christians!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bishop John Arnold - "A Nasty Little Bully"

Image
Pat Buckley has posted  a letter from a Salford priest giving the low down on what is going on in that diocese. I think it is really important because it is a report from the diocese, but also because if you pay attention to communications from the CCBEW you would think Bishop Arnold is the best bishop in the country! This despite the fact he is clearly seriously at odds with much of the Catholic faith and overly concerned with issues best described as mission creep. He advised the Catenian Association to drop "practicing Catholic" from its statutes and is obsessed with CAFOD and climate change, issues which might seem trendy, but in reality only diminish the Gospel. Arnold is chairman of CAFOD and approved the appointment of the current director who is clearly at odds with Catholic teaching . He also loves an "LGBTQI+ Mass" - more on some of that stuff here . To me he epitomises so many of the bishops: he likes the trappings and power but is very uncomfortable wit
Read more

Real Life Catholics on BBC TV defend Church Teaching on Contraception.

Image
This morning on BBC TV Sunday Morning Live there was a good debate inspired by Melinda Gates (who identifies as Catholic) comments about the pope potentially changing doctrine on contraception. The Catholic contributors were Fr Paddy McCafferty, Clare Short and Obianuju Ekeocha. I think they did really well. Uju's direction is very interesting and easily wrong foots those who want to impose western ideas of morality on Africans in an imperialistic way. Interesting that the presenter agrees with her on this. Fr Paddy gave a great account of his experience as a priest. He was compassionate, realistic and honest, while upholding the value and importance of the doctrine. Clare said she had experience of both ways and the Catholic way is better by far. I thought that was awesome! I especially liked her focus on equality and bringing the responsibility of both husband & wife into the discussion. Watch out for the bit where the other lady says "Pope Francis has ind
Read more