In this Novena to Our Lady Untier of Knots, we pray for the populations of Palestine and Israel suffering the terrible consequences of violence and war and for an end to all war.
We pray that they may feel the concrete reality of God’s love.
The Novena to Our Lady Untier of Knots is a wonderful nine-day prayer dedicated to the Mother of God.
It is Pope Francis’ favourite Novena and one of the most popular Novenas worldwide.
You are welcome to join us for as much or as little of the Novena as you are able.
Please email Colette Joyce on justiceandpeace@rcdow.org.uk to get the Zoom link if the Eventbrite booking is full.
More than 60 Christian, Muslim, Jewish and secular charities have signed the following open letter to MPs and government ministers urging them to vote for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza ahead of an SNP motion in Parliament today (21 February). They write:
Dear Members of Parliament,
As humanitarian, human rights and campaigning agencies, many of us with teams operating in Gaza and the West Bank, we are writing to draw your urgent attention to the critical situation in Gaza. As you may be aware, there will be a vote tomorrow (Wednesday 21 February 2024) in the House of Commons regarding this matter. We, along with 71% of the UK public, urge you to support the motion for an immediate and permanent ceasefire to benefit everyone in Israel and Palestine, facilitate the provision of adequate humanitarian assistance, and the release of hostages, and curtail the risk of regional conflict amid multiple strikes in several countries.
In Gaza, the ongoing conflict has resulted in unfathomable death and destruction. At least 28,576 Palestinians have been killed, while thousands remain missing under the rubble of destroyed buildings.
The humanitarian situation is dire. For 135 days, the UN and NGOs have warned of a shortage of medical supplies and clean water, overcrowded shelters, widespread food insecurity, and a collapsing healthcare system and spread of diseases among the displaced civilians, resulting in catastrophic health indicators and urgent humanitarian needs. Nearly every child is at imminent risk of starvation and malnutrition, women resort to using scraps of tent in place of period products and go weeks without showering, and surgeons are operating on patients without sufficient anaesthesia. Unexploded ordnance resulting from the bombardment poses a serious risk both to civilians and humanitarian aid workers.
Humanitarian response agencies need to not only restore but significantly scale up the delivery of vital health, education, mental health, protection, and livelihoods services. This includes vital programming to support the unique and urgent needs of women and men, boys and girls, mainstreaming inclusion of people with disabilities, older people, and others disproportionately affected by the crisis. This is not possible under bombardment. We need a lasting ceasefire, not ‘pauses’. Without a lasting ceasefire, humanitarian organisations cannot re-establish principled operations on the necessary scale, and there will be further loss of life.
It is imperative that the UK Government takes immediate action to support an immediate and permanent ceasefire, for which there is growing international consensus.
An immediate and permanent ceasefire will halt the cycle of violence, facilitate the release of all hostages, allow for the restoration of essential services, allow for international humanitarian assistance to reach those in need, and provide an opportunity for dialogue and negotiation towards a lasting peace that benefits everyone in the region.
We cannot afford to delay any longer. Private diplomacy and cautious statements are not enough – stronger action and accountability needs to be applied or the humanitarian catastrophe will likely surpass even the horrors we have seen over the last four months.
We urge you to support the motion for an immediate ceasefire.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We look forward to your support and swift action.
Signed:
1. Action Against Hunger 2. Action For Humanity 3. ActionAid UK 4 Age International 5. Amnesty International UK 6. Amos Trust 7. Bond 8. Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu) 9. CAFOD 10. CARE International UK 11. Christian Aid 12. Climate Action Network UK (CAN-UK) 13. Convivencia Alliance 14. Development Initiatives 15. Elrha 16. Embrace the Middle East 17. European Centre for the Responsibility to Protect 18. Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS) 19. Greenpeace UK 20. Humanity & Inclusion UK 21. Inminds Human Rights Group 22. International Alert 23. International Health Partners (IHP) 24. International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) 25. International Rescue Committee UK 26. Islamic Relief UK 27. Jewish Network for Palestine 28. Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights 29. Mercy Corps 30. Mines Advisory Group (MAG) 31. Minority Rights Group 32. Muslim Aid 33. Muslim Community Helpline 34. Muslim Hands 35. Na’amod 36. Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) 37. Omega Research Foundation 38. Oxfam GB 39. Peace Direct 40. Peacemaker Trust 41. Penny Appeal 42. Plan International UK 43. Protection Approaches 44. Quakers in Britain 45. Resistance Kitchen 46. Sabeel-Kairos UK 47. Saferworld 48. Save the Children UK 49. Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) 50. Scotland’s International Development Alliance 51. Stamp Out Poverty 52. Tearfund 53. Trócaire 54. The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) 55. UK-Palestine Mental Health Network 56. United Nations Association – UK (UNA-UK) 57. War Child 58. War on Want 59. Welfare Association 60. Womankind Worldwide 61. Women for Women International 62. Women’s Platform
Westminster Justice and Peace were represented at the launch of a 10-Day Vigil of Prayer, taking place outside the Houses of Parliament from 14th-24th February 2024.
We were surprised by the cameras from GB News and an interview by Jacob Rees-Mogg with Christian Climate Activist, Melanie Nazareth.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols has written to priests in the diocese to ask for a special focus of prayer on 8 March for peace in the Holy Land.
In his message, he writes: ‘As we are all aware, the situation in the Holy Land has not improved, with failed negotiations, increasing humanitarian distress and a rising death toll.
‘As Lent begins, I would like to urge that we continue our efforts, not least in prayer.
‘And so I ask that, on Friday 8 March, there is a special focus of prayer for the Holy Land across the diocese. This could take the form of a dedicated time of prayer, perhaps before the Blessed Sacrament, for peace in the Holy Land. It could be as simple as making any regular Lenten devotions you may be having on that day for this intention.’
He asks priests to make their ‘parishioners aware, and encourage them to make a special effort to take part.’
The Cardinal invites all the faithful in the diocese to take part in these prayers and devotions in their parishes.
Westminster Justice and Peace will again be joining the Christian bloc at the Ceasefire Now! rally in London on Saturday 3rd February.
Christians of all denominations will be gathering St Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Fitzrovia before the march, to pray together for peace and justice, then joining the national demonstration to call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire, and show our solidarity with Palestinians.
The gathering at St Charles Borromeo RC Church, 8 Ogle St, W1W 6HS begins at 11.30am. Group prayers take place at 12noon. We leave to join the march in Portland Place at 12.15.
Westminster Justice and Peace are members of The Climate Coalition, which since 2015, has used the power of green hearts on Valentine’s Day to send a message to those in power that we want to see a safer, greener future for generations to come.
Watch some of the highlights from eight years of Show The Love
On Monday 12th February, everyone is invited to join the Southern Dioceses Environment Network on Zoom for deeper reflection on the theme of ‘Show The Love’ in our parishes and Catholic communities as we also make our preparations for Lent. If you would like to join us, make or bring a green heart to the meeting and wear something green!
Cardinal Vincent Nichols and Bishop Nicholas Hudson have written to all the priests of the Diocese with an invitation to arrange two parish meetings before the next Deans meeting on 6th March to reflect on two themes of the Synod: Co-responsibility and Formation.
The time is short but materials are available to help and will be published on the Diocesan website shortly here https://rcdow.org.uk/synod/ .
The Cardinal writes: “It will be a moment for us to pause and consider how we are, in fact, keeping this mission before our eyes and in doing so striving to act in a participative manner.”
PREPARING FOR LENT
2024 is to be a Year of Prayer, leading up to the next Jubilee Holy Year in 2025. We are invited to delve deeply into the Lord’s Prayer at this time, reflecting on it deeply, line by line.
A Diocesan booklet ‘We Dare to Say’ is available with 5 Lenten sessions for small groups and the Westminster Deaf Service is encouraging us to learn to pray the Our Father in sign language. Please give it a go!
Watch some of the highlights from eight years of Show The Love
THE POWER OF GREEN HEARTS
Since 2015, The Climate Coalition have used the power of green hearts on Valentine’s Day to send a message to those in power that we want to see a safer, greener future for generations to come.
On Monday 12th February, we will join other participants in the Southern Dioceses Environment Network for deeper reflection on the theme of ‘Show The Love’ in our parishes and Catholic communities as we also make our preparations for Lent.
If you would like to join us, make or bring a green heart to the meeting and wear something green!
l-r: Hilda McCafferty, Colette Joyce and Father Richard Nesbitt in West London Parish, Our Lady of Fatima, White City
ByMaggie Beirne
Sixteen people from 12 parishes in West London met online on 27 January to feedback on their local outreach work. Parishes included White City, Ealing Abbey, Hanwell, Feltham and Pinner. Participants included Colette Joyce, the Westminster Justice and Peace Coordinator, and Sr Silvana Dallangra of Caritas Westminster.
The West London Justice and Peace Network held its first meeting of 2024 on a very appropriate weekend. All parishes were expected to mark both Holocaust Memorial Day (27 January) and Racial Justice Sunday (28 January).
The participants shared information about the efforts undertaken to mark both of these events at parish level – with Bidding Prayers, items in parish newsletters, and more active efforts to improve the diversity of the imagery in their churches and so on. Concern was however expressed at the lack of advance planning so that resources for Racial Justice Sunday arrived too late for parishes to be very active in using them.
Opposition to racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia is our duty as Catholics but how do we best do this? We can examine our own consciences, and we can pray, but in the current tragic circumstances of the Holy Land, what action should we be taking to make their witness more effective?
Some parishes have raised money; others have introduced special prayer events; and the network talked of additional measures to be pursued. We could, for example, be protesting the UK’s involvement in arms sales, drawing attention to the recent ruling of the International Court of Justice, and building stronger alliances with other Christians, Jews and Muslims in calling for peace throughout the region. It was pointed out that there has been a Christian presence at each ‘Ceasefore Now’ London protest march since last October.
And, if we cannot do everything, let’s at least start to do something. The great quote from St Oscar Romero comes to mind when motivating ourselves to act when everything looks bleak: “We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities”.
As ever, the network meeting had lots to report about parish activities relating to poverty in our own communities; promoting environmental justice; and the importance of addressing long term development. Thus, the network heard from parishes from across west London that are building community at local level – with their work with night shelters, foodbanks, and warm hubs; their activism around the Big Garden Birdwatch, Laudato Si events, climate justice campaigns; and their sustained work on international development (thanks to CAFOD). Following up the synodal process at parish level is also a priority and will take up some of their efforts in coming weeks and months.
At all of these gatherings, the network explores how to make justice and peace an activity for the whole parish (rather than a few campaigners) – how do we build it into our liturgy (with Holy Hours, prayer cards distribution etc) and use parish newsletters more effectively to communicate J&P news. How do we communicate most effectively with all our parishioners and engage them in the work and how do we involve our young people more consistently in promoting the ‘best hidden secret’ of Catholic Social Teaching.
Rev Dr Munther Isaac and Rev Dr Fadi Diab – Voices from the frontline
Revd Dr Munther Isaac, Senior Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church, Bethlehem – the first to put the Baby Jesus in the ‘rubble’ of his Christmas crib and Revd Dr Fadi Diab, Rector of St Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Ramallah and St Peter’s Episcopal Church in Birzeit will be speaking this Thursday in a symposium hosted by Friends of the Holy Land.
Questions they will be discussing include: How have they and their community coped with the terrible war? Where can they find resilience this Lent? What do they ask of the UK Church and their Christian brothers and sisters? And What are their hopes for the future?
Revd Dr Munther Isaac is an ordained minister of the Lutheran Church and is passionate about issues related to the Palestinian theology. He speaks locally and internationally and has published numerous articles on issues related to the theology of the land, Palestinian Christians and Palestinian theology, holistic mission and reconciliation. He is the author of “The Other Side of the Wall”, “From Land to Lands, from Eden to the Renewed Earth
Revd Dr Fadi Diab is a well-respected theologian in the Palestinian community and a prophetic voice for justice and peace. Fadi provides leadership and pastoral support for St Andrew’s school. He is the current Chairman of the Friends of the Holy Land Volunteer Committee based in country.
Although both are used to living in crisis, the war which has continued since October is the longest and most shocking in its intensity that they have ever experienced. The sheer scale of the numbers killed and the disruption to daily life is new.
Christians in the Holy Land – Finding hope and resilience for the future takes place on Thursday, 1st February at 2pm. Hear their views from the frontline and join in the conversation.
Last Sunday, around 1,000 people attended a multifaith peace walk in Central London, ‘Peace in every step’. Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and others participated. One Christian walker was Sr Elizabeth O’Donohoe, a Sister of the Holy Crossand former member of the Westminster Justice and Peace Commission.
Sr Elizabeth writes: Since October 7th there have been many ways of demonstrating the desire to find a path to Peace for the Middle East: last Sunday we did it in silence.
Hot foot from morning Mass, we arrived in Trafalgar Square to find that Prayers from the Faiths represented were already being offered. In this Vigil, beautifully organised by the Buddhists of Ticht nacht han’s Plum Village and the Quakers, the Walk was preceded by short prayer contributions by each Faith, after which there was a respectful pause and the gong of the Prayer bowl.
Other than religious dress, we had all been asked not to bring any flags or slogans, but instead to wear a white flower – many had made their own or bought fresh ones.
Led by the Faith representatives, we set off in silence down Whitehall. Traffic police cleared the way for us and vehicles were very patient. There really was nothing to disturb our contemplative walk: past Downing Street, round the Cenotaph and back to the Square.
Personally, I found a mantra coming to me – in fact from the music we had sung at Mass earlier: ‘Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy, Lord. Have mercy, have mercy have mercy, Lord.’ It seemed just right for this occasion.
Nearly an hour later, we were back in the Square.
A short thank you from Rabena Harilall and Judith Baker who had worked so hard to make this all-faiths vigil become a reality, and an invitation, in a gesture of common endeavour, to share our white flower with someone nearby. As can happen on such occasions, I gave mine to someone who recognised me from 30 years ago!
This weekend, campaigners will be holding local demonstrations in more than 50 locations around the country. For details click here or visit the ICN Listings page.
Diocese of Westminster Justice and Peace Commission 