Catholic and Anglican bishops on both sides of the English Channel have issued a joint statement for World Refugee Day calling on governments to “listen to the strangers amongst us who are exiled from their homelands”. The message, signed on behalf of the Catholic Church by the Archbishop of Southwark, John Wilson, said faith leaders were heartened by those communities that welcome and support refugees despite the myths and fear “that apparently prevent politicians from creating new and constructive policies that go beyond closing frontiers”.
Dr Ed Kessler, director of the Woolf Institute since its inception, is to step aside from the role to become its Founder President. He will continue to support the organisation in its mission to promote interfaith scholarship and understanding through research and media work. He is succeeded as director by Dr Esther-Miriam Wagner, a Fellow of St Edmund’s College, Cambridge, who teaches the MPhil in Middle Eastern Studies: Muslim-Jewish Relations at the university.
Trinity College Dublin has revised its Memorandum of Understanding with the Loyola Institute Trust to enable the Catholic institute of theology to operate as part of Trinity’s School of Religion. The Institute has been part of Trinity College Dublin since 2012, and its trustees will continue to support the work of the institute.
Ireland’s Tánaiste, or deputy prime minister, Leo Varadkar, has suggested that the state could buy the site of the new National Maternity Hospital in Dublin from the Religious Sisters of Charity instead of a plan to transfer its ownership to a charitable company. Many are concerned that the new NMH will have to operate with a Catholic ethos if the land is still owned by a charity associated with the Sisters. The Taoiseach, or prime minister, Michea´l Martin (pictured), said last week that it was “very odd” that, under the current proposal, the state would invest so much (about £685 million) in the project, but not own the site.
More than 3,000 Christians held prayer gatherings at one-mile intervals along the 630-mile South West Coast Path around Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset last Saturday to pray for those bereaved by the pandemic and others struggling at this time. They prayed for 30 minutes along every mile simultaneously at 10.30am and stood in socially distanced groups at landmarks along the way.
Congregations in Wales can once again sing in churches – as long as members wear masks. Rules were relaxed last weekend so that churches can once again sing together inside their buildings. Playing instruments and chanting is also allowed under newly- announced guidance by the Welsh government.
A decarbonisation strategy guide for Catholic property has been produced by the Guardians of Creation project, which is running as a pilot in the Diocese of Salford. Offering guidance for reducing the emissions of diocesan buildings, the project has been developed collaboratively with the Diocese of Salford, St Mary’s University and the Laudato Si’ Research Institute at Campion Hall, University of Oxford.
Columban missionary Fr Donal O’Keeffe, based in South Korea since 1976, has been given an “immigrant of the year” award. The state each year recognises people dedicated to social progress in South Korea. The 70-year-old Irish priest was thanked for supporting low- skilled workers in industrial districts of Korean cities. In Bucheon, he helped set up an “open house” offering educational programmes for teenage workers from rural areas. He has also worked with the Urban Poor programme of the Seoul Archdiocese. “Today the country has changed,” he reflected. “Poverty is more hidden, but people feel even more isolated.” When the first missionary, Fr James Zhou, arrived in 1795 he found a community of 4,000 believers, despite persecutions. He was executed in 1801. After that there was no priest in Korea until the Paris Foreign Missionaries arrived in 1836 to discover a scattered community of 6,000 Christians. See Father Donal’s letter in this week’s Tablet.
Caritas in Salford diocese has appointed Patrick O’Dowd as its next director. He will succeed Mark Wiggin, who retires after 11 years of service in July. Mr O’Dowd has served the diocese as the director of administration and personnel since 2009.
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