Franciscan News

Welcome to our Franciscan news page - the most recent articles will appear at the top of the page

	News from Compton Durville After nearly 50 years the sisters of CSF are to leave their house at Compton Durville. Sr Helen Julian, Minister Provincial, said, 'For almost two years now we've been reflecting on our future as a community, and seeking to discern the way forward. In the course of this process, which has involved all the sisters, it's become clear that the house at Compton Durville has become too large and physically demanding for us to manage. We explored a number of options, including that of continuing in only part of the plant, but the Number 1 Trust, which owns the buildings, did not feel able to let us do that. We also explored options with a number of dioceses, and visited several properties. One of them seemed to fit our requirements almost perfectly, and we are now negotiating its purchase. It's in a diocese which has at present no religious communities, and a part of the country where CSF has never lived, so along with our sadness at leaving Compton Durville and the Diocese of Bath and Wells is excitement at the prospect of bringing the Franciscan religious life to a new part of the country.' CSF's existing houses in Birmingham, Leicester and London will continue their present ministries. Nearly every house will see a change in those living in it, as the sisters presently at Compton Durville are dispersed around the province and a new group begins life in the new house. The sisters gathered earlier this month at Compton Durville for the final Sisters' Meeting there, an opportunity to look back, to share stories, laughter and tears, and to look forward to the future with hope and some trepidation. The ministry of hospitality at Compton Durville will continue until Pentecost, and a service of thanksgiving is planned for late May. More information about this service, and about the new house, will be posted here as they become available.

Photograph above centre: A gathering of all the Sisters from the various houses of; the European Province for the Annual Sisters Meeting 2010 at Compton Durville (with the exception of our Korean Sisters and our 2 hermits)

Br Damian SSF reflects on his time as vicar of Holy Island 2003 - 2009 The final services over last Christmas we my last duties during SSF's seven years and brought to an end the Brothers official work on Holy Island. The mingling of the liturgical theme of Christ's coming and our withdrawal brought much warmth of expression from the Island folk. The improvements to St Mary's Church, an on-going programme during our time there, were nearly complete. Besides the provision for disabled access, a new vestry has been built and furnished. This has been accepted by the people because it has been very tastefully done with obvious advantage. There were 22 regular services each week and many others by request of visiting parties and pilgrims. Perhaps the more important contribution SSF was able to make has been a ministry of encouragement to all the otherwise separate contributors to the Island's economy. As I left a new leaflet - and this is a first - was in draft to be available for the new season of 2010, welcoming visitors to explore the different places and opportunities provided by the Churches, the Lindisfarne Heritage Trust, English Heritage, Natural England, The National Trust, the Post Office, the Aidan & Hilda Community, the Shops, the Cafes, the Hotels all marked on the map. The good summer of last year brought a record number of visitors to Lindisfarne, all with varying agendas. Yet a good number of them were searching for either something they had lost or wanted to gain. To all I would beg as I withdraw, Let the Island speak to you, for it is a Holy Place.

Photographs l-r: St Mary's Church Holy Island; Br Damian SSF; Pilgrims' Way

Community of the Divine Compassion, Zimbabwe


The Chapel	The Guest House	The Brothers:Peter, Bhekimpilo, Admire, John and Brian
In October 2009, Brother John spent two weeks with the CDC brothers at their friary in Nyanga in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe. CDC was established as an autonomous African Franciscan brotherhood in the 1980s and has always had a covenant relationship with the European province of the Society of St Francis, with several SSF brothers having lived and served for a number of years in Zimbabwe. There are currently four brothers there, two Zimbabweans and two Zambians, who have recently expressed the desire to be fully integrated with SSF, and the purpose of John's visit was to explore and encourage this process with them. The brothers live at a former hotel complex in an area of outstanding natural beauty where, with the help of a few staff, they run a guest house for retreatants and other groups. Any profit from the guest house is used to support the tertiary education of half a dozen orphaned young men who live alongside the brothers, and whose life prospects would otherwise be virtually nil. The brothers also provide quiet study space for local schoolchildren, and welcome neighbours to prayer meetings and Bible studies. They continue to develop a pastoral ministry at the local hospital, and among people living with HIV/AIDS. Life in Zimbabwe is precarious. Food shortages and political violence are commonplace, and all at the friary experience these, sometimes acutely, although the present economic situation is improving. Political divisions are mirrored in the Anglican Church, and the brothers seek to be reconcilers and peacebuilders within their diocese of Manicaland under its newly-appointed bishop Julius Makoni. Faith, hope and love abound at the friary. Joy and laughter bubble up every day despite the hardships and anxieties. To share the community's life, even briefly, is to be surrounded by living examples of tenacity and perseverance, and to realize we have much to learn from our African brothers and sisters about putting the gospel into practice.

Nyanga Market	Innocent propigating plants	View from the Friary

	An Update on the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference As a member of the Anglican Chaplaincy team in Copenhagen Sr Joyce CSF reflects on the Climate Change Conference: It was an immense privilege to have been invited by the Anglican chaplain in Copenhagen, the Rev'd Jonathan Lloyd, to be part of a chaplaincy team during the December 2009 United Nations COP 15 climate summit. He saw the opportunity of providing a place of hospitality, prayer, stillness and engagement in the midst of this historic meeting. The Anglican Church is well situated, on the edge of the city centre, en route to the well-known 'The Little Mermaid' monument. Many people from the conference called in and there was a daily round of prayer centred at the church which was open to all. Four of us Franciscans were part of the invited team. We were generously hosted by the Swedish Lutheran pastor and his wife, just a short walk away from St Alban's Church. In the run up to the conference, the churches of Copenhagen had distributed some symbols of climate change to focus prayer: rocks from Greenland, exposed, where the ice is melting; coral from the reefs of the Pacific Ocean that have died from changes in ocean temperatures and dried and malnourished corn cobs from Africa where crops have failed. It was clear for us to see there had been much forethought and prayer already centred on this urgent issue. Our Daily Offices and the Eucharistic readings for each day used a creation theme from the Canticle of the Creatures by St Francis of Assisi. 45,000 people registered for the conference from all over the world for a venue which only held 15,000; many had to queue for hours in the cold to get entry to the main centre of discussion, if they were lucky! However there were also many events happening in other parts of the city which we were able to visit occasionally. The Klimaforum was a centre of much activity where there were displays and scheduled discussions on a variety of topics connected with climate change, by many different organisations, with many faiths represented, who are lobbying and working hard at communicating and educating the general public about the effects and consequences already taking place. Around the city there were various impressive art displays related to the topic too: a stunning photographic display of the '100 Places to Remember before they Disappear'; the SevenMeters series of art installations, one of which, the 'Survival of the Fattest' sculpture (quite disturbing) depicted a huge, fat Justitia figure sitting on the back of a starved African man, with a pair of scales in her hand (described as her confronting the real world's deficient sense of justice with the western world's hypocritical self-righteousness) and another was a line drawn on the streets to show where the waterline in Copenhagen will go if all the ice in Greenland melts. The weekend was blessed by the visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was present on Saturday at the beginning of a walk, involving many faith groups, from various venues to the conference centre; later that day there was Evening Prayer at Trinity Church at which he preached; on Sunday morning he presided and preached at St Alban's church; and in the afternoon he preached at the Ecumenical Celebration for Creation, at Copenhagen Lutheran Cathedral, which was televised live. This service was hosted by the National Council of Churches in Denmark in collaboration with DanChurchAid and the World Council of Churches and in addition to representatives of church and state was attended by the Queen of Denmark. It was a great joy to have been present at such a powerful witness to our responsibility before God in caring for creation. Although the outcome of COP 15 left much to be desired from the political aspect, I have come back with a firmer resolve to try to do my bit and to encourage others to do theirs. As the Archbishop said to Mark Dowd of Operation Noah when asked what Christians should do if our politicians flunked it, 'keep on nagging them', so let us keep doing just that.


Pictures: Sr Joyce CSF and Br Clark Berge SSF at Copenhagen

Book News
Helen Julian CSF, Living the Gospel: the spirituality of Francis and Clare. Bible Reading Fellowship, 2001: This book that looks at Francis and Clare together, showing how they shared responsibility for the growth and influence of the Franciscan way, and how deeply rooted their teaching was in Scripture, is now OUT OF PRINT. However the Bible Reading Fellowship are making this book available as a paid PDF download. If you would like a copy of this book in PDF format click the download link to the BRF website.

The Oratory at Southwark is expected to be joined by Paul Grinyar at the end of February. Please pray for him as he moves and settles in to the house and for the existing members of the community there, Sr Joyce CSF, Sr Gina CSF, Sr Jennifer Chan CSF and Regine as they welcome him.

Movements:
Brother Peter N/SSF has moved from Alnmouth to Hilfield and Br Gerardo N/SSF has moved from Glasshampton to Alnmouth

Sister Helen Julian CSF, Minister Provincial for the European Province is moving from the Convent at Compton Durville in December to begin exploring a more solitary life. Please pray for her as she begins this exploration.

The First Profession Brother Martin John - Alnmouth Friary 15th October 2009

		Brother Martin John made his Profession in First Vows at Alnmouth Friary on 15th October 2009
Br Martin John	Alnmouth Friary Chapel ready for the occasion

Brs Desmond Alban & Benedict, the former and current Novice Guardian	Busy in the kitchen

Friends and family celebrate in good Franciscan style	Photo Opportunity

Westminster Tours in Sydney are organising a Tour of places with Franciscan connections. Initial information is as follows:
Depart: Australia approx May 27th. Includes 2 nights in Seoul en route. Then 15 nights in England. (Salisbury, Worcester, Cambridge, Norwich, Canterbury, London).

Each stop will include a day visit to a Franciscan house; and also other places of historic, religious or scenic interest. There will also be plenty of time for relaxing together. It's not a serious pilgrimage!
The maximum size of the group will be 30.

Co-hosted: by Brothers Christopher John SSF and Howard LBF.
Cost: approx AUD 8,140 per person twin share plus taxes. Package includes accommodation in 3.5* to 4* hotels, own coach, tips for local services, restaurants, and coach drivers, 15 breakfasts, 7 dinners, local guides where necessary, porterages for 1 suitcase per person.

Please note that is possible to make your own arrangements to be in the UK and to join the tour there - in which case you only pay the land component for the UK.
Enquiries to Johanne Kenny, Westminster Tours, 64 Castlereagh St, Sydney, NSW 2000, johanne@ettravel.com.au, (02) 9232 1711

Launch of the new Anglican Franciscan Web Portal

Sunday 12th July saw the launch of the new Anglican Franciscan Web Portal. The Society of St Francis is an international religious community with members in many parts of the world. The interactive map enables people to search and identify where Anglican Franciscans are located throughout the world and how to contact them, with links to the respective websites or email addresses.
To access the new site click the link www.anglicanfranciscans.org

Other Provinces: Province of Papua New Guinea - Charles Iada's Life Profession is to take place on the 29th June at the Anglican Chapelof St Peter in his local village. Please pray for him as he prepares for this occasion.

Visiting brothers
Eric Michael has arrived in this Province from the US for a year long stay. After having been bases at Hilfield Friary initially he has now moved to Plaistow, based at Crofton Road.

Prayer for Vocations
The Community and Society of St Francis believe that prayer is one of the key elements in attracting vocations. One house each month focuses on praying for vocations. We would ask you join us in praying for vocations and you may want to pray alongside the house nearest to you or with one that has a particular significance for you.