‘I forgive’

Preparations start now for the Holy Year dedicated to hope

By Ronnie Convery

Pope Francis has declared open a ‘Year of Prayer’ to prepare for the Holy Year 2025 which will open on Christmas Eve 2024.

The announcement brings to life a desire the Pope expressed last year, when he wrote “From now on I am happy to think that the year preceding the Jubilee event, 2024, will be dedicated to a great symphony of prayer.

“First of all, to rediscover the desire to be in the presence of the Lord, to listen to him and adore him. But also, to thank God for the many gifts of his love for us and to praise his work in creation, which commits everyone to respect and to take concrete and responsible actions to protect that creation.”

The Year of Prayer 2024 will therefore be a year of preparation for the Jubilee – the theme of which the Pope has chosen as ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, placing the whole event under the organisational charge of Archbishop Rino Fisichella and his team at the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelisation.

Archbishop Fisichella explained what will be involved in this 2024 Year of Prayer.

“This is… a privileged time in which to rediscover the value of prayer, the need for daily prayer in the Christian life; a time to discover how to pray, and above all how to educate the people of today in prayer, in this age of digital culture, so that prayer can be effective and fruitful.

“We cannot deny the fact that our time manifests a profound need for spirituality. The louder the cry of technology that seems to correspond to all our desires, the deeper we discern the search for a true spirituality …

“There are many people who pray every day; perhaps, I dare say, everyone prays. No statistic can give us a true picture, in facts and figures, of this very intimate experience of people who know the multiple ways of prayer in a completely personal way.

“From those who quickly make the sign of the cross, to those who participate in the daily Eucharist, there is such a vast range of ways of praying that no one can fully describe them all.

“From quick to distracted prayer; from contemplative prayer to prayer filled with tears of pain… prayer cannot be captured in a pre-established pattern because it is an expression of the believer’s personal relationship with God himself within that intimate and exclusive relationship that distinguishes our faith.”

The Vatican has prepared a series of materials and aids for the coming months and wants to encourage local initiatives which will help people pray better.

The Archbishop said: “I would offer some suggestions that can accompany our meditation and reading so as to better understand the value of prayer.

“First of all, there are the 38 catechetical talks that Pope Francis gave from 6 May 2020 to 16 June 2021. These are texts that consider the various forms of prayer and they can be re-read, as they contain many useful suggestions. [These can be read and downloaded from the Vatican website]

“We also thought it useful to prepare a series of eight short volumes to be made available to the various Bishops’ Conferences and which over the next few months will be a useful aid to better understand prayer.

“The Vatican Publishing House has already published the first volume in Italian written by Cardinal Angelo Comastri, Praying today: A challenge, with a preface by Pope Francis (English-language translations will soon be available).

“Together with these resources we will prepare pastoral aids that re-present the various expressions of prayer in the community, in the family, for priests, cloistered nuns, sanctuaries, young people and so on… in short, nothing extraordinary, not new prayers, but help to live with greater awareness of the need for daily prayer.”

Another initiative, planned for the Year of Prayer will see the Holy Father set up a ‘School of Prayer’. This will be a series of moments of encounter with specific categories of people to pray together and understand better the various forms of prayer: from thanksgiving to intercession; from contemplative prayer to the prayer of consolation; from adoration to supplication.

More information at: www.iubilaeum2025.va/en.html

‘I forgive’

By Brian Swanson

A Glasgow-based African priest has delivered a powerful message of forgiveness to the Islamic terrorists who murdered his uncle and brother.

Speaking on the first anniversary of the killings, Father Isaac Abba (pictured) said: “I forgive the men who did this. If I did not, then there would be no value in the Gospel I preach.”

His uncle, Father Isaac Achi, who inspired him become a priest, was burnt to death in the attack on the parish buildings of Saints Peter and Paul in a remote part of the Diocese of Minna, in Northern Nigeria early last year.

For the first time since the atrocities, Father Isaac, 32, a priest from the same diocese and now working in parish ministry in St Andrew’s Cathedral, has spoken at length about the events of January 15 2023 and the murder also of his beloved brother Oliver by the same terrorist group two weeks earlier.

Oliver was shot at a roadblock as he returned from hospital with his sick father.

Referring to the killing of his priest-uncle, Father Isaac said: “I was about a 90 minute drive away from the church residence where my uncle lived when around 1.30 in the morning I received a call to say that it was under attack.

“I became restless and worried and praying that it would just be mere hearsay. 

“But by 3am, I got another call, and I learned that the rectory was set ablaze, and Fr Achi was burnt beyond recognition. The house where he lived had become a furnace.

“It was a Sunday.  Despite all this, I had to gather momentum to celebrate the Sunday Mass as if nothing happened.”

What the Glasgow-based priest did not know at the time was that his father. who lived just round the corner from the church, could only watch helplessly as his priest brother perished in the flames.

Father Isaac added: “It wasn’t long after that that my father also passed away. He was sick, but also, he couldn’t stand the shock of the death of his son and his brother and so in a matter of months we lost three members of our family.

“Oliver and I were very close… he was my brother but also my friend.

“He was always there and ready to help me whenever I needed assistance. He did a lot to assist me perform my priestly duty well – now he’s gone, how that made me feel, only I can tell. 

“Fr Achi, on the other hand, was my uncle but also a guide – he was someone I could call at any time for guidance during my studies in the seminary and even as a fellow priest. 

“He was my uncle but also a father and brother figure to me by virtue of our priesthood. Now he’s no more – that still hurts me.” 

The St Andrew’s Cathedral priest went on: “While many people believe that terrorist attacks are politically manipulated (since Fr Achi was the voice of the people), there are those who feel the attack was perpetrated because of sheer criminality. 

“Others who think that it was brutal because of his identity as a priest. 

“All I know is that the government, which has the responsibility to protect our lives and property, failed to stop this and to also fish out the perpetrators. 

“Governments at the state and federal levels need to explain to the public what happened.”

It was the example of his uncle that encouraged the Glasgow-based priest to follow in his footsteps and become a priest himself, even sharing his name at baptism.

He said: “Fr Isaac Achi was a man for all. His relationship with Christians and Muslims was cordial. He was the Christian Association of Nigeria coordinator of the county – he has always fostered unity among the people, regardless of their religious and political affiliations.

“Fr Achi was born in that community; he began his primary education in that same community – his call to the priesthood began in the same community. 

“In fact, he was the first priest from the Koro tribe and I am the second from that community.

“My heart is broken but I forgive the men who did this. If I did not, then there would be no value in the Gospel I preach.”

A fuller version of this interview was first published in the American Catholic magazine Pillar. It was written by fellow Nigerian priest Father Justine Dyikuk, who holds a Master’s degree in investigative journalism, and is currently studying for a PhD at Strathclyde University. Flourish grate-fully acknowledges his assistance. To read Fr Justin’s interview go to: https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/now-hes-more-priest-nephew-of-slain

Parliament salutes the achievements of Sacred Heart parish and school

By Brian Swanson

The anniversary marking 150 years of worship at Sacred Heart Parish Bridgeton has been noted in the records of the UK Parliament and will remain there for all time after an Early Day Motion was submitted by SNP MP Alison Thewliss whose Glasgow Central Constituency includes the parish.

It reads: “This House congratulates Sacred Heart Parish in Bridgeton, Glasgow, on the 150th anniversary of its founding; notes that the church was built through the efforts of its first Parish Priest Father Edward Noonan, who performed the opening ceremony in the original wooden church in 1873; welcomes the commitment to education of this endeavour, with school facilities opening alongside the church in 1874, where they still remain at neighbouring Sacred Heart Primary School; recognises the role of Sacred Heart School’s first headteacher, Andrew Kerins, better known as Brother Walfrid, in the growth of football in Glasgow for the purpose of raising funds for educating and feeding young Catholics through the Penny Dinner scheme, and thereafter the establishment of Celtic Football Club; appreciates that the growth of the church necessitated the construction of the present Church of the Sacred Heart, which was opened in 1910; congratulates all involved in the parish for their efforts over the years, and wishes them all the very best for the future.”

Honour

Father Liam McMahon, parish priest of Sacred Heart, described the submission of the early day motion as a great honour and added: “We are very grateful to those who supported us in this way.

“It’s wonderful to think that many years in the future people will still be able to read the story of our anniversary.”

Archbishop’s Budget plea

Archbishop Nolan has joined Catholic leaders from across the UK in writing to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt calling for him to prioritise care for the poor at home and abroad in next month’s Budget.

The full text of the letter follows:

Dear Chancellor,

We are writing to ask that you put tackling poverty at the heart of your Spring Budget.

The Catholic groups and organisations we represent have a deep concern for the poorest in society, both in this country and around the world.

This concern is rooted in our faith and the teachings of the Catholic Church. In Pope Francis’ most recent encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, he writes: “Amid the daily concerns of political life, the smallest, the weakest, the poorest should touch our hearts: indeed, they have a ‘right’ to appeal to our heart and soul.”

This is why we have come together to make this joint submission. Ahead of what is likely to be the last Budget before the next General Election, we urge you to focus on helping people escape poverty so they can live in dignity.

At home, this means making changes to our tax and benefit system to help families keep more of the money they earn and support those most in need.

This should include finally lifting the two-child cap on Universal Credit and Working Tax Credits; a policy which a parliamentary inquiry found had “evident, unintended consequences that no Government should be willing to accept”.

Internationally, this should include returning our overseas aid budget to 0.7% of GNI in line with the commitment made in your manifesto at the last General Election.

Support should also be provided by the Treasury working towards debt-relief for low-income countries that need it.

This overseas aid budget should be used to promote integral human development amongst the world’s poorest.

This money was never intended to be used supporting those seeking asylum in this country. Nor should it be spent without regard to a country’s human rights record.

At the Budget last year, there was barely any mention of efforts to tackle poverty. We strongly encourage you to make poverty reduction central to your next Budget and encourage you to publish an impact assessment of your policies in relation to poverty metrics.

Catholic churches and charities are at the forefront of efforts to support people on the margins of society. We see the needs of the communities where we live and serve on a daily basis. We would be happy to meet you ahead of the Budget to discuss ways of reducing poverty.

We look forward to hearing from you.