Gyronny Herald

The Tyddyn Bach Trust respite centre in Penmaenmawr in Wales which has provided much-needed respite care for over 2,000 individuals and families affected by HIV since 1997 closed its doors.

As a former trustee of Northern Ireland’s leading HIV charity, The HIV Support Centre, I have some idea of how difficult it can be to get funding from health authorities and others to support your work.

The MP for Aberconwy, Guto Bebb, said that it was a tragedy the centre had to close. He suggested that the closure is an unintended result of devolution within the United Kingdom.

Clients coming from England means the centre doesn’t qualify for funding from Wales and they don’t get funding from England because they’re based in Wales. It’s bizarre.

Whilst I hope that the Trustees will be able to find more funding to enable them to reopen at some point in the future, it may be that they will have to take the Trust in a new direction. All Trustees of all organisations must look to ensure that they are functioning sustainably. It seems to me that there has been a major growth in the number of charitable organisations that seem to be chasing after the same pots of money from statutory bodies. Perhaps it really is time – even in this time of austerity – for everyone in the United Kingdom to think again about giving some of their income to charitable bodies. If we don’t, there will be more closures of charities in the days, weeks, and months to come.

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Yesterday I visited the mother of my friend Peter Davies in her home in Chesham, Buckinghamshire. We went in, sat down in the sitting room and  in pride of place on the mantelpiece was the picture illustrated here.

Mrs Davies told me to take it down and look at it if I wanted, so I did. I then asked if I might photograph it. The only camera with which I have been equipped for a while has been the one on my iPhone 4. Nevertheless, the camera has done me proud, I believe.

For those that don’t know, there are 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart (more…)

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St George’s Parish Church in Belfast proclaims itself as

An open door in the heart of the city- a place of prayer and peace.

I know that it has an open door, it has been open to me at times in my past when it life has been very difficult.

This year, during Lent, this historic church which is right in the heart of the city has a modern take on the ancient office of Compline. The office will be at 9 p.m., which although late for a church service in the city of Belfast, it is hoped that this will allow many people of differing traditions to come together for it.

Compline will be said using the Book of Common Prayer 2004 of the Church of Ireland.

Compline unites the traditional and the modern. We will be using some recorded music, and the service of Compline we will be using comes, like all services in St. George’s, from the Church of Ireland’s Book of Common Prayer 2004. But Compline dates back to the 4th Century, and has not changed substantially since that incredibly ancient time when the English language did not even exist. It unites us with the Christians who have prayed the service of Compline throughout more than sixteen centuries, and with Christians around the world praying through Compline today – not only in the Anglican Churches, but in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Lutheran Churches as well.

There will be readings from St John of the Cross, St Teresa of Avila, John Keble, Mother Julian of Norwich, among others. Music will be by Allegri, Byrd, Arvo Pärt, John Adams, Philip Glass, and others.

For more details ring 0779 780739, or email stgeorgesoffice@btconnect.com

The Rt Rev. Mgr Richard Moth, the Bishop for Scouting in England & Wales

Yesterday I joined many Catholic Scouts from across England and Wales, together with a few others from further afield at the Founder’s Day Mass in St George’s Cathedral, Southwark which was celebrated by The Right Rev Mgr Richard Moth, Bishop of the Forces, who is also the Liaison Bishop for Scouting.

At the beginning of Mass we had a procession with the crucifix and candles being carried by Scouts in uniform, together with a colour party bearing a Queen’s Colour¹, the Papal Flag, and the  Flag of the National Catholic Scout Fellowship, together with the Scout flags of the Scout Troops, Cub Scout Packs and Beaver Scout Colonies that were present.

His Lordship’s sermon is given below:

In the Gospel today, we find Jesus curing a man of his leprosy. To touch someone who had the disease was extraordinary in those times – the leper was supposed to keep away. He or she was cast out of society on account of the fear of the disease spreading. Yet Jesus reaches out and touches him. When he has been cured, he is told by Jesus to follow the directions of the law – to see the priest, to make an offering in thanksgiving and so to be welcomed back into the community. Jesus reaches out – literally – to the leper who is an outcast from his community.

Leprosy has been around for about 4000 years.

In 2009, Damien of Molokai – the “Leper Priest” – was canonised by Pope Benedict XVI. He was sent as a missionary to Hawaii in 1864. Leprosy had been brought to the islands of Hawaii and in 1873 he volunteered to work at the colony that had been established for lepers. He discovered that he had contracted the disease eleven years later and remained at the colony, caring for the people there, until his own death in 1889. He was 49 years old.

Fr John Seddon, National Catholic Scout Chaplain administers Holy Communion to a member of the NCSF on the tongue and kneeling.

Leper colonies still exist around the world, especially in India, and the last European Leper Colony closed only a little over 50 years ago. Today, the condition is treatable and, where good treatment is available, people with the disease no longer live apart from the rest of society.

Damien of Molokai followed Jesus in reaching out to the leper, serving him and caring for him and we should take that message to heart for ourselves in the society in which we live and in which we are members of the Scout Association.

We may not find lepers on our streets and there are no leper colonies in this country. There are, however, many people who are in need of our service – the friendly word, the welcoming gesture. None of this needs to be complicated.

“Scout Community Week” provides us with a wonderful opportunity for this service. The older ones amongst us will remember, like me, the “bob-a-job” week of years gone by. The purpose was just the same then – service of others.

Service is uncomplicated – it is the giving of ourselves for others. We may do this in different ways, but the one thing we must do is use our gifts and every one of us if called to do this. Don’t leave it to someone else!

The Procession forms up after Mass

As Catholic members of the Scout Association, we might ask ourselves why we do these things. When we serve others, we might feel good about it. That is OK – it would be very odd to feel bad about helping someone else! BUT – Jesus reminds us that when we serve others, we serve Him. That is our real reason for serving others – we are carrying out the work of Jesus himself. Just as Jesus reached out to the leper and gave him new life, so our service of others – although very small in comparison to the events of today’s Gospel – does bring them new life.

It assures them of the goodness of those around them, where goodness is sometimes lacking. It helps them to carry their burden, especially when we come to the help of those who are struggling with life through old age, ill health or just the business of life today.

Anyone interested in supporting Catholic Scouts can join the National Catholic Scout Fellowship, which is a National Scout Active Support Unit within The Scout Association.

¹ Sadly the particular colour in use was upside down, let’s hope this can be rectified by next year.

Punt. 1. A flat-bottomed shallow boat, square at both ends; (now chiefly)spec. a long narrow boat of this kind propelled by means of a long pole thrust against the bed of a waterway, and used on inland waters, esp. as a pleasure boat, as a ferry over short distances, or for fishing.¹

The Mayor of Bedford, Dave Hodgson, has invited businesses to put forward plans to operate punts and canoes on the Great Ouse in Bedford. Apparently this is dangerous according to the rowing community.

Having lived in Oxford, I can vouch that I have seen punts and rowers operating on the Isis at the same time. All it seemed to take was a little caution on both sides. Of course those who are punting must also exercise care in how they punt. Will there be a difference in Bedford punts? After all, there is a right end and a wrong end from which to punt depending on whether you are in Oxford or ‘the other place’.²

At some point in every punter’s career, there comes a moment when a particularly enthusiastic thrust has sent the punt whizzing (well, gliding) off in one direction while the pole, due to mud, weeds or malicious scuba divers, remains behind. You must resign yourself to either leaving the pole, or leaving with it. Always choose the former! You’ve been provided with a paddle for a reason, and the pole will remain rooted in place until you can return. The alternative does not bear contemplating; you will stay hanging over the water while the punt floats off without you.³

No one wants to end up looking like the dragon from Daily Info.

A dragon punting, courtesy of Daily Info

Whilst it is rather pleasant to watch rowers in action on any river, they are not the only river users that should be allowed or indeed encouraged. Canoeing and punting can be enjoyed by many more than those who can row. So, by opening up the Great Ouse to these facilities, I can safely say that, for once, I approve of the Mayor of Bedford’s plans. Unlike when I disagreed with his closing of Bedford’s Civic Theatre.

^1. “punt, n.1″. OED Online. December 2011. Oxford University Press. www.oed.com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/view/Entry/154714?rskey=nd3wkW&result=1&isAdvanced=false (accessed February 13, 2012).
^2. I’d better watch out when I get home or Andrew will have my guts for garters…
^3. “A Guide to Punting in Oxford”. Daily Info, Oxford. Daily Information Ltd. www.dailyinfo.co.uk/guide/punting.htm (accessed February 13, 2012).

The new road bridge over the River Bann at Toome. (One entry point to South Antrim.) Image via Wikipedia

Martina Purdy of the BBC has produced some interesting registered activities for our MLAs up at Stormont. One that strikes me as a little strange is that

Sinn Fein’s Mitchel McLaughlin declared his trip to Boston last November. He was part of a trade delegation from the north west and the cost was met by Golden Bridges (Boston-North West Ireland).

Nothing altogether strange in that you say? Ah, well, now…

Mr McLaughlin doesn’t represent a constituency in the North West despite being from there. Some wags have suggested that the times he spends most in his constituency of South Antrim is on the road from Toome to Randalstown and then on the M22 and M2 into Belfast, leaving the area around Glengormley.

I wonder what was so important in the United States?