& finally...
ing, other members of the group things that everyone ‘knows’) that reli-
included Bishop Andrew Burnham; Fr gion burdens you with guilt, lowers your
Ross Northing, Vicar of Stony Strat- self-esteem and has a marked tendency
ford; Sister Anne Williams, Church to make you miserable. Being saved from
Army evangelist and vice-chairman of eternal damnation comes at a price, and
FiF; Fr Luke Miller, Vicar of St Mary’s one that most people would rather not
A
n apology and correction. It must Tottenham; Fr Scott Anderson, Vicar pay. It was a surprise, therefore, to read
be that to an Evangelical all men in of Willesden Green; Fr Mark McIntyre, of a study that seems to show that reli-
black look the same. In Gerry O’Brien’s CMP Mission Officer and Fr Gary gion increases people’s happiness.
article last month on the Synod debate Ecclestone, Priest of Hanslope. It began with a study into attitudes
concerning parsonages, the successful to unemployment, and why some
amendment was put forward by Fr Paul
Benfield, and not by Fr Simon Killwick F
iF Vocations Working Party [see p. European countries had more generous
15]. The coordinator was the Revd unemployment benefits than others,
as stated. Ann Turner, Bradford DDO. Other and developed into a wider study into
members of the group included Canon ‘life satisfaction’ among Catholics and
T
he meanness of the English (as Tony Delves, regional dean for South Protestants. Professor Clark of the Paris
opposed to the Americans for Yorkshire; Sister Mary Michael of the School of Economics, and Dr Orsolya
example) is part of our shared folklore, Rempstone Community; Fr Jeremy Lelkes from the European Centre for
so perhaps it is no surprise to learn that Sheehey, Rector of St Peter’s Swinton and Social Welfare Policy presented their
only 5% of us leave any legacies to chari- formerly Principal of St Stephen’s House; findings in a paper entitled Deliver us
ties. It might be worth pointing out to Fr Mark Sowerby, Vicar of St Wilfrid’s from evil: religion as insurance.
the tight-fisted majority that the same Harrogate and formerly a Selection Sec- The prospect that gaining happiness
survey also revealed that those who retary; Mrs Vivienne Goddard, formerly in a life after death goes hand in hand
leave legacies in their wills live between in charge of local ordained ministry in with greater happiness here on earth is
three and four years longer than those Blackburn diocese, and Miss Alexandra a delightful one-in-the-eye for the secu-
who do not. Buckingham, student at Clare College, lar majority. Too good to be true? Terry
Cambridge. Sanderson, president of the National
F
iF Evangelism Working Party [see Secular Society, was quoted as saying
p. 10]. Apart from Fr Philip North,
Priest Administrator of the Shrine of W
hile it is widely acknowledged that, that studies purporting to show a link
for example, going to church can between happiness and religion were
Our Lady of Walsingham, the author of reduce your risk of heart attack, it is also ‘all meaningless’, so there is probably
the long article we have been excerpt- just as widely accepted (it is one of these something in it. ND
Touching Place SS JOHN AND MARY MAGDALENE, GOLDTHORPE
A
church built in reinforced concrete in so that the church was rehallowed by Dr chance of finding a statue of your
the Italianate style is not something David Hope on 29 June 2002. favourite saint, from John the Baptist
you meet every day, especially in a South The interior of the church is generously to Thérèse of Lisieux, and from the
Yorkshire mining village in the Dearne provided with the instruments of Archangel Michael to the Holy Infant
Valley. Lord Halifax gave Goldthorpe worship; life-size carved and coloured of Prague. It is all calculated to warm
the first ever reinforced concrete church; Stations of the Cross occupy both aisles, the cockles of the heart of an old-
designed by Alfred Y. Nutt, it was and a voluptuously carved eighteenth- fashioned Papalist like this writer. But
consecrated by Cosmo Gordon Lang in century Flemish pulpit presides over a don’t forget the stained glass window at
1916. You could see four coalmines from light and airy nave. You stand a good the west end of the south aisle, which
the church tower. Time commemorates the four
passed, the concrete local collieries, and the
leaked, acid rain got book remembering the
in; the iron core began miners who died in
to rust and chunks of accidents. Goldthorpe
concrete fell off. By 1994 church is rooted in its
the pits had all closed; community.
unemployment climbed. Be inspired by the
Faced with a huge efforts of Goldthorpe
restoration job, this in restoring their
community made what church. Pray for the
can only be termed unemployed, and for
an heroic response, in all those who fight to
raising over a quarter retain their self-respect.
of a million pounds Remember in your
through its own prayers all clergy who
efforts. The National work in deprived areas.
Heritage Lottery Fund OS ref. SE462045
contributed £950,000, Simon Cotton
April 2008
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newdirections
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