London: Mass with Catholic Women Praying Together

Bishop John Sherrington with some of the main Catholic Women Praying Together organisers

Bishop John Sherrington was the main celebrant at a beautiful Mass for Catholic Women Praying Together at Farm Street Jesuit Church in Mayfair yesterday (Thursday 28 April 2022).

Organised by the Union of Catholic Mothers, Catholic Women's League, Ladies Ordinariate, and Life Ascending, the service was dedicated to young people.

Bishop Sherrington reflected on today's Body of Christ, exemplified through the suffering people of the Ukraine and other parts of the world.

In his Homily he spoke of how the wounds of Christ are now manifest in the suffering of people where ever there is conflict.

He recalled the many families divided by war, and how children and their mothers are often left alone when the men of their family are called up to fight. This means that vulnerable women and children, the wounds of Christ, are forced into displacement, to be refugees, and sometimes trafficked into slavery and subjected to sexual violence.

He reminded us of Our Lady of Sorrows, praying and interceding at the foot of Christ's Cross. He also spoke of the Easter Mysteries, and the new life of Baptism where God so loved the world he gave His only son, to give eternal life to those who believe in Him. He summoned us to be born again into the life of Christ, to seek the Kingdom of God. This new birth, this is birth is by water and the Spirit which flowed from the side of Christ.

Bishop John then related the life of St Catherine of Sienna, who brought many everyday people, the Pope, and political leaders together, inspiring them to live in peace and reconciliation by placing son and mother- the Crucified Christ and 'gentle Mary' first, before all their other concerns.

The Mass was followed by a gathering for tea and conversation in the church hall.

Marie Potter, from the Catholic Women's League, spoke of how her organisation supports and prays for "women working in the church. We pray for women's role in the church and how we support the church and the clergy."

She said: "There is great power and strength in women praying together - things start with prayer, and with women they get done."

Anne Emblem, representing the Union of Catholic Mothers (UCM), said that while she is not a mother herself, through prayer she is able to care for the welfare and spiritual needs of children, young people and their families.

"You can be a member of UCM without being a mother. It is a group of ladies who get together, share, and support each other" she said.

Life Ascending was represented by Paula Conrad, who brought the movement to the United Kingdom. She described the international movement for older people, saying: "Our movement says, not 'what can the Church do for older people?' But 'what can older people for the church?'"

"I have 16 grand-children and two great-grandchildren and I see how the majority of young people have ceased to come to church. I want them to know how the Lord should be at the centre of our lives, to guide us through all the ups and downs, and I want young people to know how precious they are to the Lord."

Joanna Bogle represented the Ladies Ordinariate and was a lead organiser in the Mass. She described how "God made all things, He made us for Him, to long for Him and all the substitutes today, they don't satisfy. We are made to pray.

Joanna believes we are called to pray together: "That is what we are called to do. We have an eternal destiny and we are meant to pray together. We are meant to be together and pray and that is what we are doing as Catholic women."

She said: "Women have special responsibilities… Catholic women and Catholic men have an identity together and separately - as women our responsibilities are as mothers, as co-creators with God, nourishing the next generation."

LINKS

To learn more about Catholic Women Praying Togeher, visit: www.catholicwomenprayingtogether.com/

Ladies Ordinariate Group: www.ordinariate.org.uk/organisation/logs.php

Union of Catholic Mothers: www.theucm.co.uk/

Catholic Women's League: https://catholicwomensleaguecio.org.uk/

Life Ascending: www.lifeascending.org.uk/