A Week of Community...

Wow!  What a week we've had!  The theme for the past week has been Community Living and it has been an amazing experience.  At the beginning of the week we had lectures about what community life is and how we can all contribute to the life of the community with our different gifts, talents, strengths and weaknesses.  We had the great pleasure of meeting and learning about some different communities; we met Paula, from the Cenacolo community, a community for those who suffer from addictions.  They have a prayer group here in the Parish on a Monday evening.  On Thursday we spent the day with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFRs) in Canning Town, where we helped with their soup kitchen and experienced a little of what a typical day is like for them.  Friday was a long yet great day for the boys who headed out to Ealing Abbey early in the morning to spend the whole day with the Benedictines there.  But I think I can safely say the weekend was our highlight!  NightFever was happening here at St Patrick’s on Saturday and it was the first time we have been out evangelising as a community.  Let’s hope all our nights are as fun and exciting as our first.  Sunday meant wrapping up warm and finding our walking boots as we all headed off on the John Paul II Walking Pilgrimage along the Thames from Westminster Cathedral to Hampton Wick.  It was a long tiring day but it was so good, definitely going to make it an annual event!  You can read more about our adventures this week in the next few days as we update more posts.

Tomorrow (1st November) is a very important day, not only is it All Saints Day but for us here at SPES it is our Commitment Mass.  Please join us if you can; the Mass is at 6pm with a bit of social time afterwards.

Where have we been and what have we done!?

Oh no!  Can't believe it's been almost a month since we updated our blog! Here at SPES we have been very busy and there just hasn't been time to hop on the internet to update.  Apologies, but hopefully this post will bring us all up to speed and we can try to get a more regular post happening.

So some of the students arrived on Saturday 29th September and we headed out to have dinner together at the house of one of the Board of Management, a great night was had by all.  We were also joined that weekend by Christina, one of the past SPES students from Deanna's year group.  She came over from Germany to not only say hi to the new students but to say goodbye to Deanna.  By Monday 1st October we had gathered together all of the new students; our new group consists of Alfonso (from USA), Ben (from England), Terry (from England), and Ola (from Poland).

Week 1

Our first week was mainly a chance for us to get to know each other and to find our way around.  On Tuesday 2nd October we consecrated the year to Our Lady with a visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Willesden and a Rosary walk from there to Tyburn Convent, where we met some of the nuns and were shown the relics of the Martyrs.  Before returning to St Patrick's we knelt and prayed at the place of Tyburn Tree.  It was a great day and a wonderful experience for us all.  Wednesday saw us pack up and head off to Whitstable for our first SPES retreat.  We spent a wonderful 4 days getting to know each other and taking time to thank God for bringing us to SPES and asking Him to continue to strengthen us during this year.

Week 2

Our second week was a great week learning about Prayer and the different types of prayer; personal prayer, Holy Hours, the Rosary, the Mass, Divine Office, Discernment and Lectio Divina. Now we are prepared and ready to tackle what this year has in store for us. On Thursday 11th October we joined many others at the opening Mass for the Year of Faith in Westminster Cathedral. This year will provide us with a great opportunity to not only learn more about our Faith but to grow in it also. After Mass we went on a Catholic History Walk through London led by Joanna Bogle; it was
good to hear about the history of the Catholic Church in England, especially for those in our group who are not from England.  On Saturday 13th October we took part in our first 'Cookathon', a whole day dedicated to preparing and cooking meals for the next few weeks.  For some it was their first proper experience of cooking a meal from scratch.  Many thanks to those who came and joined us for the day, especially to Della, without whom the day just wouldn't happen.

Week 3

This past week the students have been learning about Divine Providence, and
experiencing it! They have been hearing the personal testimony of people in different
circumstances and how God has provided for them in their lives. During the week they
also learnt about some of the outreaches that happen here in the Parish; SOS Prayerline,
Open House, NightFever, and of course the monthly Church cleaning! Thank you to
all those who also helped with the Church cleaning, again the Lord provided us with
some good cleaners and our Church is looking beautiful. We had the pleasure this week
of having a guest lecturer from Australia; Fr Gerry O’Collins, who spoke to us about
Vatican II. On Thursday night we headed out to the cinema to watch October Baby; a
pro-life movie being presented by Good Counsel Network and 40 Days for Life. A must
see.

Next week we are focusing on Community Living. The students have already spent
three weeks living together so now it’s time to give them the secrets of how to survive
the next 8 months together.

Hopefully we will be much better at posting over the next few weeks and we will update with some photos of the things we have been doing.

Prayers and God bless

Only a week to go!!

 

Firstly sorry for the lack of updates - there are some in the process of making it onto here but just not ready yet.  The last couple of weeks have flown by, we have been so busy preparing for the arrival of the new students.  Can't believe it's only a week away now!  This time next Saturday we shall be having our first meal together as a community. 

This week is going to be a little bit crazy making sure everything is ready before the students arrive.  I have to be honest and say I really can't wait!  It has been great getting to know the students a little and helping them prepare for SPES through emails and Skype but it going to be great to actually properly get to know them and meet them and also let them meet each other.  Thank you so much to all of you who have been praying for our new students, please continue to pray for them.

Happy Birthday Ambrose!

Todays a very special day at St Patrick's - it's Ambrose's birthday!  He's 5 today.  We would have spoilt him more than any other day but I don't think that's actually possible!!  Happy Birthday Ambrose!

The Big Day has Arrived!!

Today we celebrate two important things - Our Lady's Birthday and Tess & Eoin's Wedding!  What a wonderful day it is going to be and what better date to get married on.  May God bless Tess & Eoin today on their wedding day and everyday of their married lives.  We ask that Our Lady give them her Motherly blessing and that she may protect them and be with them throughout their marriage.  Please pray for Tess & Eoin on this very special and important day of their lives as they give themselves to each other in the sight of God and invite God into their marriage so as to guide and protect them always.

Past Students find their Vocation

This week is a very special week for SPES as two of our past students enter into new stages of their lives.  Jeanine is starting Religious life and another, Teresa, will get married next Saturday.  What an exciting time for them all!




Jeanine is a graduate of SPES '05-'06 and was coordinator of the school for three years ('06-'07, '07-'08, '08-'09).  Today Jeanine will start her postulate year with the Sisters of Life based in New York City.  As a postulant Jeanine will live and pray with the Sisters, take classes, assist in the apostolates and work with a postulant director in continuing to discern God’s will.





Tess is a graduate of SPES '07-'08 and was coordinator of the school '08-'09.  Big congratulations to her on her recent fantastic results and graduation from her nursing degree.  We will have to keep our eyes peeled for the publication of her thesis!  Next Saturday, the feast day of Our Lady's Birthday, Tess will marry Eoin McCarthy!!!  





We wish each of them the best of luck with their next stage of life.  Please continue to keep them in your prayers.  Hopefully we can bring you more updates and news of their journeys.

The Countdown has begun

Hard to believe but yes it is 30 days until our new students arrive!!!  We are still working hard in the office preparing for their arrival and planning the new school year.  It's looking like it's going to be a good one, lots of amazing and inspiring lecturers lined up as well as some other exciting activities for the students to do.

Please keep the preparations, new students and potential new students in your prayers at this busy time.  There are still many things to be done in the next few weeks but it's all looking good and we are getting very excited!

SPES @ Medjugorje Youth Festival Part 3

On the Friday morning of the festival we rushed down to the morning programme so that we could get a good spot to see and support Magnus McFarlane-Barrow, who had been invited to speak from the main stage.  Magnus is the founder and CEO of Mary’s Meals (www.marysmeals.org.uk) and his parents started the Craig Lodge House of Prayer (www.craiglodge.org) after visiting Medjugorje in 1983.  The story of Mary’s Meals is inspiring, to think that such a simple idea can make such a big difference to so many children in the world.

                   

 Friday night after the Mass was the procession through the village.  Many of the villagers had made small altars with statues and candles outside their homes.  It was such a wonderful evening.  While walking through the village we had the chance to meet and talk to other young people from different countries and to share our experiences with them.  At the front of the processions there were representatives from each country carrying their country’s name, flag and torch.  Unfortunately we had missed out on starting the procession but along with our sign we eventually made it to the front towards the end.  We probably looked like quite a confused group of young people – we had our Scottish flag and sign but no torch, Deanna had an American flag in her hair and I had the Irish flag dripped on my shoulders.  Being able to be so close to the Altar when Our Lord was exposed on the Altar was a real privilege.  Earlier in the day Deanna had talked about possibly trying to get closer to the Altar during Adoration that night; well ‘ask and you will receive’, we couldn’t have gotten any closer!

The testimonies on Saturday morning were by young people from the Cenacolo Community (http://www.comunitacenacolo.it/).  It is fantastic to see how with the help of God and a good community someone can turn their life around again.  

In the afternoon Deanna had the opportunity to speak about SPES from the main stage.  She done a great job of it, well done Deanna!  It was lovely to speak about SPES to a few young people who approached us afterwards and even now we have had some emails from young people who heard Deanna speak at the festival.


It was a great opportunity to share with the young people what SPES is all about and the experiences that you can have in SPES.


Saturday evening was a very special evening for our group; we were invited to Ivan’s private apparition.  It is difficult to describe the feeling of peace that we had during the time that Our Lady was appearing to Ivan.  Even afterwards it was hard to believe that we had been there.  What a way to spend our last evening in Medjugorje!  Afterwards we made our way back to the Church for Mass and Adoration before then watching the musical show by Cenacolo; an awesome performance (although to be honest I didn’t watch it all since it was in Italian and I couldn’t cope with the crowds, but I’m sure it was all awesome).

On Sunday we had a few hours to chill out, buy the last of our souvenirs and say goodbye to Medjugorje as well as ensure we had an ice cream before leaving.  Having waited many years before finally being able to go to Medjugorje I have to say it was well worth the wait.  I had a fantastic time and have had many graces and blessings from my time there.   Thank you to all those who made my trip possible and for all those who made it special, especially those who I was able to share the week with.  May Our Lady continue to protect us all and guide us to her Son Jesus.

SPES @ Medjugorje Youth Festival Part 2

Wednesday 1st August was the official start of the Youth Festival.  We started off our day in the usual way with breakfast, prayer and Mass.  Medjugorje had already been busy with people since we arrived but there seemed to be more and more young people arriving each day.  Around the Church it was starting to get more crowded and colourful as each group of young people brought with them their flags and banners.  There was also a giant helium Rosary floating around all week, it looked awesome!

As the Youth Festival was not kicking off until the evening time we joined an afternoon talk and presentation by Pure in Heart (http://www.pureinheartireland.com), an International Catholic Movement of young adults who through prayer and friendship, strive together to learn, live and share the truth, beauty and meaning of human sexuality.  The presentation covered many topics including: What is Love?; Dating and relationships; Sex and sexuality; Modesty and Respect; and Chastity - the forgotten virtue.  Although I have met the team and heard the presentation many times there is always something new in it for me and their personal testimonies are so inspiring.

The Youth Festival began with a time of welcome from each of the countries who were in Medjugorje for the Youth Festival.  Our group were given the opportunity to do the welcome for Scotland so armed with some Scottish flags, the signpost for Scotland and the all important Scottish accent they headed for the main stage to encourage all the young people to have a brave heart and let Jesus give them His Freedom!  Following all the welcomes there was an International Mass.  One of the most important things you need if you ever go to Medjugorje is your radio, otherwise you’ll be lost.  Thankfully with a simple little radio you will get the translation for everything that is happening.  After Mass there was a beautiful time of Adoration and reflection.  The young people were encouraged to love God now, to love Him wherever we are in life, that if we wait until we are saints or holier then we may never love Him.  Jesus is standing knocking at the door of our hearts, waiting for us to open it and to let Him in and to love Him.


Thursday was the first full day of the Youth Festival.  Both the morning and afternoon sessions were packed with lectures, music and amazing testimonies.  The choir, made up of young people from many different countries, was fantastic.  And how could we not mention the Dancing Nuns, absolutely amazing.  They had us all up on our feet dancing to all the songs.  Although the young people came from many different nations, countries and languages we were united through our faith, the celebration of the Sacraments and song.

Medjugorje has been called the ‘confessional of the world’; this is very true.  Everywhere you look there are queues of people waiting to go to confessions and although this year a new block of confessional was opened there were still many priests hearing confessions outside.  Many people come to Medjugorje looking for something and feeling overburdened, many want to get close to God but do not know how.  Through the loving care of our Mother Mary we find the courage to respond to her call and to allow her to guide us to her Son.   Our desire is to better our lives in the love of Christ.  We kneel before Jesus and we ask Him to transform and change us.  Through the graces that are poured out in confession, Mass, and Adoration we are strengthen in our desire to follow Christ.

Olympic Fever

OLYMPIC FEVER truly hit the streets of London... the atmosphere was electric and the excitement palpable as we tuned into the sports events taking place only a short distance from our parish in Soho. St Patrick's Church is the venue for the Mother Theresa of Calcutta Exhibition and also hosted NightFever, we were keen to take full advantage of the crowds flocking into the city.

The exhibition is beautiful, informative and really touches the heart. Each day, the Missionaries of Charity (Mother Theresa's Order of Sisters) were full of infectious enthusiasm and zeal for the Lord. They encouraged many passers-by to visit the exhibition. It was special to volunteer at the exhibition as it gave me an opportunity to learn more about the life of such an extraordinary woman and also to witness the impact her life continues to have on people. Guests to the exhibition are able to view Mother Theresa's actual bed, desk and her few possessions including a cross and a picture of Christ crucified. Also there is a chapel to place prayer intentions, the main exhibition hall and an area to watch her life and mission on DVD. I was in awe of the life she led and it was inspirational to work alongside her Sisters who continue to carry the torch once lit by Mother Theresa. Their shining radiance was a testament to the love of Christ within each one of them.  The Exhibition is open Tuesday-Sunday from 11am-7pm until 15th September, please do call in to see it.

NightFever once again captured our imagination at the power of God through each one of us. The event began in Germany after World Youth Day 2005 and they brought it to Soho, London in February this year. During the Olympics, the event took place over a period of 5 nights and what an impact it had! Personally it was amazing to see a continuous stream of people come into the Church from the streets. It was such a gentle way of inviting people in to light a candle at the foot of the altar. The transforming effect of the love and healing of Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament was evident to all. Most left the Church with beaming smiles and many others with tearful eyes. Those who were invited into St. Patrick's Church were from various cultures, backgrounds and religions, yet it was beautiful to be united together in One Spirit.