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NEWS FROM WOODFORD FRIARY

For the news archive from previous years click here

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40 YEARS AS A PROFESSED FRIAR

: Brother Malachy Seymour, O.F.M.

On Saturday, 17th July 2010, Br Malachy Seymour of the Woodford Friary community celebrated 40 years as a professed friar. The parish joined in the celebration at a special Mass concelebrated by the Minister Provincial and four other priests of the community followed by a gathering in the Becket Centre. It was an occasion for all the friars to reflect on their own years of profession in the Order.

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A CIVIC MASS FOR A PARISHIONER

: The Mayor reads the first Lesson and renews his Declaration of Office

This year one of our parishioners, Councillor Jim O'Shea, was elected to the office of Mayor for the London Borough of Redbridge and inaugurated his term of office with a Civic Mass at St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Woodford Green, on Sunday, 11th July 2010, to which the Mayors of other London Boroughs and former Mayors of this Borough had been invited. Fr Austin McCormack acted as Myor's Chaplain and celebrated the Mass, during which the Mayor retook the Declaration of his Office. After the Mass, the visitors met together in the Becket Centre with the people of the parish.

: The second lesson is read by Colonel Alan Hall, representative Deputy Lieutenant for Redbridge

: Fr Brian McGrath proclaims the Gospel

: Fr Austin McCormack delivers the Homily

: James McDowell, 11, tries on the Mayoral wig for size

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2010 SUMMER GARDEN FETE

Once again the weather was good for the annual Woodford Garden Fete on 12 June 2010 with all the usual attractions and crowds of people.

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PENTECOST SUNDAY CONFIRMATIONS

At a special Mass on the afternoon of Pentecost Sunday, the Guardian and Parish Priest, Fr Austin Linus McCormack, O.F.M., conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation on 78 young people of the parish. They brought their sponsors, family and friends with them making a congregation of over 500 people present for the occasion. This is the average number of young people confirmed in this parish every year. They follow a full year's programme of preparation and a period of follow up afterwards.

During the month of May at every week-end there are Masses where children of 7 to 9 years of age make their First Communion. This year there were 92 children in all doing this, and this too is the average number every year.

As can be imagined, there are a large number of voluntary helpers from the parish to allow the preparation programmes for both Sacraments to take place.

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IAN DUNCAN SMITH, MP, ON MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY

On Friday, 19th March 2010, the Feast of Saint Joseph, the Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith, Member of Parliament for Chingford and Woodford Green, spoke in the Becket Centre on the role of marriage and the family in repairing our society. The event was sponsored by the Waltham Forest Deanery.
As founder and chairman of the Centre for Social Justice, Iain Duncan Smith was able to quote facts and figures based on scientific research to demonstrate the stabilising role of the commitment of marriage in the lives of both the adults and children involved. He pointed to the accumulation of debt as the principal negative element in many relationships. He pointed to the present tax system as penalising those who wanted to live together in a stable family and rewarding those who lived apart.
The talk was much appreciated by those who were present and who found the time all too short.

To read the Green Paper on the Family published by the Centre for Social Justice in January 2010, click on the following link:

http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/client/downloads/CSJ_Green_paper_on_the_family_WEB_2nd.pdf

: Mr Iain Duncan Smith arrives and is led into the hall by the Guardian

: Phil Butcher, Director of the Diocesan Commission for Justice and Social Responsibility, introduces the speaker

: The Dean, Fr Maurice Gordon, closes the meeting

: with a prayer

: The speaker mingles briefly with members

: of the audience before he departs

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Dr PAUL DOHERTY IS AFFILIATED TO OUR PROVINCE

: Dr Paul Doherty and his wife Carla before the ceremony

Dr Paul Doherty is not only the Head Teacher of Trinity Catholic High School which is situated right next to the Friary at Woodford but a prolific author of many mainly historical books. He has always been a fervent supporter of the Franciscans and has always insisted that Trinity High School is a Franciscan School. Every school day begins with a Mass in the School Chapel celebrated by a friar and open to any of the boys and girls of the school as well as parishioners and which he usually attends. The friars, wanting to recognise this devotion on the part of Dr Doherty, affiliated him into their Province in a ceremony on Friday, 27th November 2009, in the retro-chapel of the church at Woodford. As an affiliate, he will become part of the fraternity of the Province and share in all the friars' Masses, prayers, sacrifices and other good works.