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The agency of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster for Interreligious Dialogue |
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Jesus and Mary
overshadowed by the Spirit of God
A print edition of Westminster Interfaith Newsletter is published five times a year and is available by subscription, currently £15.00 per calendar year from :-
Westminster Interfaith,
Westminster House,
Watford Way,
Hendon,
NW4 4TY.
Cheques should be made payable to 'Westminster Interfaith'.
Addenda
When preparing the printed Newsletter we sometimes have items that do not make it into print for lack of space,or maybe the subject is no longer topical by the time of the next issue. Some that we feel may nevertheless still be of interest are offered here.
Back Numbers of Newsletter
Issue 63 – September 2009Issue 62 – July 2009
Issue 61 – May 2009
Issue 60 – January 2009
Issue 59 – November 2008
Westminster Interfaith Newsletter
Issue 64 – November 2009
A Happy Christmas!
to all our Readers from the Westminster Interfaith Team Jon, Sr Elizabeth, Margaret, Sr Hilda, Sr Mary.
Editorial – The Golden Rule
Feast of Deepavali 2009 – Message from the Vatican
Work and Prayer
Do's and don'ts and fruits of dialogue
Muslim-Christian couple relationships
Welcome to our new team member
Welcome Katharina Müller
Brother Daniel's Diary (9)
Harvest of Friendship
Inter Faith Week launch at Lambeth Palace
Religion and the News
Catholic visit to Neasden Mandir
Book Review: The Rainbow Swastika Conspiracy
Book Review: The Dawning
Forthcoming Events
Calendar of Religious Festivals
The word was made Flesh – Anthony de Mello
The Golden Rule
Recently someone said that the Golden Rule was not enough. I wondered what that person meant. I did not have the opportunity to ask. It made me think, however: in what way is it not enough?...
Full article here or Return to Index
Message for the Feast of Deepavali 2009
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
Christians and Hindus: Committed to Integral Human Development
Dear Hindu Friends,
1. It is my joy to greet you all, once again, in the name of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue: a Happy Deepavali!...
Full article here or Return to Index
Work and Prayer: A Hindu monk's response to child poverty
Chitranga Chaitanya Das (C.C.Das) is a Hindu Hare Krishna monk, who feeds nearly one million undernourished children everyday. C.C.Das tells how it all started about 9 years ago at the Hare Krishna Temple...
Full article here or Return to Index
Do's and Don'ts and fruits of dialogue
Christians engaged in friendship and exchange with their neighbours of other faiths have learned much in recent decades about the challenges and rewards of interreligious dialogue...
Full article here or Return to Index
Muslim-Christian couple relationships
Ten thoughts
1. When we met we both felt we had so much in common. The way that Muslims and Christians are seen as being so separate just made me feel closer.
2. Arguing isn't a bad thing...
Full article here or Return to Index
New Team Member
We welcome as a new member of the Westminster Interfaith team Sr Mary Horan who is a Sister of Mercy living in London's East End.
Sr Mary writes: "Originally from Ireland, I have spent most of my life teaching and in pastoral ministry in various parts of the UK. The last five year's have been in Bradford, West Yorkshire, engaged at grassroots level with people of all faiths and none. I was a member of the Columba Community, an ecumenical group whose mission was the building of bridges with other faith groups in Bradford. My own ministry was mainly one of 'presence' rather than 'doing' – just being open to the wonder of each 'new person and event and growing into a deeper understanding of my own faith in the process."
We know that our friends from the faith communities will give Sr Mary the same warm welcome we have experienced ourselves.
Welcome Katharina Müller
We are delighted to welcome Katharina Müller, the newly appointed Secretary to the Committee for Relations with other Religions. She will be joining the Department for Dialogue and Unity of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. Born in Germany, she holds a teaching degree in German, English and Catholic Theology from Bonn University, and first discovered the pleasures of living in England on an exchange visit to Oxford University. She taught English at a Catholic Comprehensive School in Essex for a year.
Katharina writes: 'I am delighted to be starting my work at a time when interreligious dialogue has become more important than ever before.'
We wish her all the best in her new post and look forward to working closely with her.
Katharina can be contacted at: e-mail: katharina.muller@cbcew.org.uk, or by phone: 020 7901 4853.
From Brother Daniel's Diary (9)
(Br Daniel writes about a Sikh gentleman in Southall who "has gone interfaith".)
Now he is an important person in the community, has a strong following and is widely respected outside his own circles. Would his initiative succeed?...
Full article here or Return to Index
Harvest of Friendship
Three years ago, I heard the news that a British-born Muslim travelled to Israel and blew himself up in a Tel Aviv nightclub. I was shocked to learn that this young man was from Hounslow, where I live...
Full article here or Return to Index
Inter Faith Week launch at Lambeth Palace
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, invited faith leaders and Trustees of the Inter Faith Network for the UK, to Lambeth Palace...
Full article here or Return to Index
Religion and the News
From Sunday 11th – Tuesday 13th October, 2009, seventy people representing faith communities and the media gathered at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park...
Full article here or Return to Index
Catholic visit to Neasden Mandir
A large group of Catholics from Westminster diocese – clergy, religious and lay people led by Archbishop Vincent Nichols – have accepted the invitation to visit the Hindu Temple, the Mandir on Brentfield Road, Neasden, London NW10 8LD, on Saturday 21 November.
The visit takes place during Interfaith Week, a time of special prayer with and for people of various religions, and on the birthday of the worldwide spiritual leader of the Hindus who pray at the Mandir at Neasden, His Holiness Pramukhswamiji Maharaj.
We are very grateful to the local spiritual leader, Sadhu Yogvivek Swami and the Trustees of the Mandir, for their kind invitation and for arranging the visit. It will be an excellent opportunity to learn about the beliefs and customs of our Hindu neighbours, to experience their hospitality, and to talk with and listen to one another.
We have many common concerns, including affirming and supporting family life, the upbringing and education of our children and young people, promoting community cohesion and the understanding and valuing of different cultures and traditions, recognizing what different religions can contribute to the common good, difficulties arising from the current economic situation, concerns about local public transport...these are some of the subjects of local interest.
The visit will, it is hoped, lead to greater understanding and cooperation between all people of good will and new friendships may be made.
Archbishop Vincent will give an address to all present during the visit, after an introduction by Sadhu Yogvivek Swami.
This promises to be an informative and enjoyable experience for all who will be there.
We hope to publish a report of this and other Inter Faith Week events in our next issue.
Book Review
"THE RAINBOW SWASTIKA CONSPIRACY" by Anthony Padgett
ISBN: 9780956158703 £12.99 (Paperback).
A Novel Solution To The Banking Crisis
Anthony Padgett is a Jewish artist, who has held numerous exhibitions around the country. An award winning sculpture, "Zoroastrian Icarus" sculpture
Full article here or Return to Index
Book Review
THE DAWNING by Emmanuel Elliott
(ISBN: 978-0-9562878-0-9) Price £11.50
This new book, published on 9 November, has been described as 'something of a latter day, multi-faith Pilgrim's Progress with an extraordinary twist in the tail.' In fact, the reviews can be telescoped to read 'A truly remarkable real life spiritual adventure story with a message that could change the world.'
In essence, The Dawning chronicles a profound personal journey that bridges all the religions by reflecting an outpouring from the same Divine Source that gave rise to them all. Hence the draft press release heading was: New Relevation unites Jews, Christians and Muslims.
The book is an enthralling account of one man's search for Truth as he battles with fear and human frailty in the face of overwhelming experiences. After quoting from Joel 2:28, the author's preamble continues:
"It is one thing to take in our stride the supernatural events recorded in the holy books of whatever religion we may subscribe to, if any, and in the annals of bygone eras. It is quite another to accept that the miraculous can become the stuff of everyday life for a very ordinary person from the humblest of backgrounds in this materialistic age of hype and celebrity culture. Nevertheless, this is what I am asking you to believe. And I swear, by all that I hold most dear, by all that is most holy, that every word of it is true."
Forthcoming Events
These are the events / organisers we know about, the list is not exhaustive:
November 2009 – Forthcoming Events or Return to Index
Calendar of Religious Festivals
Multifaith Calendars are seldom complete, ours is made to fit on an A4 page – you may find more celebrations listed and explained online by following some of the addresses on our Resources page.
Calendar: December 2009
Return to top or Return to Index
The Word was made Flesh
In the Gospel of Saint John we read: The Word became flesh; he came to dwell among us... through him all things came to be; no single thing was created without him. All that came to be was alive with his life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines on in the dark, and the darkness has never quenched it. Look steadily at the darkness. It won't be long before you see the light. Gaze at things. It won't be long before you see the Word. The Word became flesh; he came to dwell among us...And stop those frantic efforts to change flesh back into words.
Words, words, words!
Anthony de Mello SJ.: The Song of the Bird
By kind permission of the publishers, Gujerat Sahitya Prakash Anand, India
