Adventure retreat, retirement and cup winner

Latest news from across the Diocese of East Anglia includes an adventure retreat, a retirement presentation and a cup winner.

Young people from St George’s Parish had an adventure retreat together at the Horstead Activity Centre recently. 

Together they explored various themes from Holy Week through a wide range of activities from making their own unleaven bread to washing each other’s feet.  They also discovered the meaning of pilgrimage, by walking to the nearby ancient church of St Thibault. 

Alex Savage said: “There were also opportunities to pray and socialise together.  It was wonderful to see young people aged 8 – 18 enjoying each other’s company and sharing their faith together.”

The event culminated with a moving Mass celebrated by Fr Sean Connolly.  He invited each person to light a candle and say who they would like the Mass to be said for.  At the sign of peace, each person gave another a friendship bracelet.  This symbolised that the group would continue to support each other as they share life’s journey.

Around 150 people gathered in the school canteen of Maria Fidelis Senior School, near Euston Station to mark the retirement of Pat Gaffney, Director of Pax Christi UK on Saturday April 13.

Among the guests were Bishop Kevin Dowling, from Rustenburg, South Africa (co-president of Pax Christi International) and as well as Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, Bishop Thomas McMahon, retired Bishop of Brentwood.  

Pat Gaffney has said: “As for non-violence, for many the word still conjures up passivity, doing nothing, allowing oneself to be walked over. Yet we have only to look at key practitioners, Jesus, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mairead Corrigan, and the work of Pax Christi, to see that active non-violence faces injustice, violence, the misuse of power, and aims to stop and transform them.  Again, we need to invest in non-violence, be educated about it, trained in it, develop a spirituality to underpin it so that we can confidently begin to apply creative nonviolent solutions to the challenges we face.”  

Archbishop Malcom in his remarks admitted that he is largely a figurehead for the organisation but he expressed gratitude to Pat for her 29 productive years at the helm. Among the other guests were Pat’s successor Teresa Allessandro; Christine Allen the new Director of Cafod, and long-time peace activist, Bruce Kent.”

Pictured, left to right are Sean and Hilary Finlay (Pax Christi members from Wisbech), Pat Gaffney, Sue Claydon (chairperson of the Anglican Peace Fellowship from March) and Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, President of Pax Christi UK. 

At the April meeting of the Norwich Circle of the Catenian Association, held in the Refectory of the Great Hospital, newly installed President Philip Hoy (pictured) handed the Conway Cup to Paul Moore, President of Billericay Circle.

The cup which is awarded to the Circle within No2 Province with the best record for visiting other Circles within that Province during the year.

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