Oxford Catholic Volunteer Movement's second soup run

Here is a report from the good souls who run the Oxford Catholic Volunteer Movement -

 

On Sunday we held our second soup kitchen with four  helpers. We had a two-hour slot at the community centre instead of our regular four-hour slot. Thanks to invaluable advice from CVM supporters, one of whom is Swiss student and knows the centre of Oxford better than the rest of us, it was much more successful this time.

 

We decided not to attempt to run a cafe but went out with small parcels of tobacco, sausage and bacon butties, chicken and bacon soup and fruit. We only saw five homeless people but four of them accepted as much food as they could eat and stuffed into their pockets. The first person we asked didn't; I think this was because I forgot to mention the tobacco first. Once we began by offering them tobacco, they thawed out and became much more receptive. They accepted quite a few copies of our flyers showing the dates, times and location of the soup kitchens for the next five months and figuring tobacco prominently near the top, and said they would spread the word. We enjoyed chatting to them..

 

It is still a small start, but at least we felt we'd achieved something this time. Next time we will be back to our four-hour slot, which means we can give them a proper sit-down meal and hand out clothes, books, etc (of which we've got loads).

 

I think key things were that when they hesitated we told them it was all home-made, nothing out of a tin, all fresh. Also the mention of sausage of bacon seemed to have a magical effect.

 

 

 

Catholic Volunteer Movement at Christmas

The 2010 Canterbury CVM Christmas meal was a great success. We had 15 volunteers to ensure that all our guests received an excellent meal and were able to celebrate fittingly this holy season. They were served with home-made soup, a turkey and ham roast meal and a pudding. Each guest received presents including tobacco, chocolates, socks and a sturdy flask.

These pictures show some of the volunteers hard at work preparing and serving the feast -

We are very grateful to all the Volunteers and the Canterbury Open Centre who kindly allowed us to use their premises again. Members of the CVM have also been helping out with the homeless night shelter in Canterbury which is being run for six weeks over winter. This has taught us many valuable lessons in how charities helping the homeless are organised. A member of the CVM in London has been doing extensive work with homeless people there each week as well as with the charities that help them. All these initiatives will prove invaluable when we finally get a property. Please pray hard that we achieve this in 2011.

Update on Ted Atkinson

Ted is free for now - he's bailed (unconditionally) to appear on 3rd March 2011 before a visiting judge at the College Lane court in Kings Lynn for a decision as to whether on not he goes to the Crown court.

Ted Atkinson

The great Catholic activist and our friend, Ted Atkinson from Norfolk is being prosecuted again. This time, it is for breaking the terms of his ASBO (anti social behaviour order) - he is 79 years old, so possibly the oldest ASBO in the country! His crime is for awaking some charities, who send him unsolicited letters, to the horrors of abortion. His case will be heard on 20th December 2010 at Kings Lynn Court. Please remember him in your prayers this day.

London Catholic Volunteer Movement

On Saturday 23^rd October in this year of our Lord, about a dozen daring and dashing volunteers initiated the London Catholic Volunteer Movement, which had been in planning for some time.

Armed with sandwiches, soup, hot-drinks and sympathetic ears, the troupe of volunteers went around London in separate groups, all beginning from Trafalgar Square. The homeless people we came across were remarkably, though not surprisingly, grateful for the gifts of food prepared by the members of the London CVM. Their hunger must have been exceptional, because as the weather grows colder, so often does people’s charity. It was clear however from our first activity that there were some definite strategies which we could use to make sure we were of as much use to these unfortunate people as we can be, such as establishing a regular meeting point in London for the distribution of food, handing out cards to the homeless stating the next date and location of the soup kitchen, and also establishing a weekly or bi-monthly rota so that there would be enough volunteers to make this more frequent event.

This is a good cause, which we estimate helped between twenty and thirty homeless people in London that day, but with many more to help. Donations of warm and waterproof clothes are greatly appreciated, and anything you could give financially to help the London CVM’s work would be gratefully received by its volunteers, but best of all give some of your time to help these ambassadors of Christ.

For further information, donations or offers of help, please e-mail - catholicvolunteermovement@gmail.com

Early Day Motion

Following on from the recent email sent to supporters of Integrity and Action we
are pleased to confirm that we encourage all of our supporters to back the
initiative of Dr. Therese Coffey, MP, in calling for an Early Day Motion in
regard to women being informed as to the horrendous psychological traumas and
mental health problems widely associated with induced abortion.

Although Integrity and Action hold no truck with the liberal-democratic
parliamentary system that is based upon false principles opposed to Catholic
social doctrine, and we also hold no expectation that politicians belonging to
whatever Party will suddenly desire to do what is right, we believe that this
initiative is worth backing even if it causes just one soul in parliament to
begin to open his eyes to the horrors of abortion.

We also believe that Therese Coffey, who is known to some of our supporters, is
to be applauded and encouraged for taking this initiative.

With this in mind we strongly encourage all supporters of Integrity and Action
to contact their local Member of Parliament in order to urge them to support Dr.
Coffey's initiative; EDM 834: Informed Consent for Abortion.

Contact details for your MP can be found at this link:
http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/

The following template for a letter, it can be copied and pasted in an email,
could be used in order to urge your MP to support Dr. Coffey's Early Day Motion.



Dear ....... (your MP's name),

As one of your parliamentary constituents I am writing to request that you give
your full support to Early Day Motion 834: Informed Consent for Abortion.
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=41801

Numerous scientific studies have been published that report an increased risk of
psychological problems and mental disorders amongst women who have undergone
induced abortion.

According to a group of leading psychologists and mental health professionals,
in a public letter printed in 'The Times', 27th October, 2006, induced abortion
causes women tremendous psychological and mental health problems.

Basing their statement upon a scientific report published in 'The Journal of
Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2006, they revealed that: "Women who had had
abortions had twice the level of mental health problems and three times the risk
of major depressive illness as those who had given birth or never been pregnant".

An in-depth American study found that mental health problems rose by 17% for
women who had an abortion. Incidence of some specific problems rose by as much
as 167%. This study reflected another conducted in New Zealand and published
around the same time by Fergusson et al in 'The British Journal of Psychiatry',
2008, that found women who had an abortion were 30% more likely to suffer
serious psychological disorders.

"Abortion was found to be related to an increased risk for a variety of mental
health problems (panic attacks, panic disorder, agoraphobia, PTSD, bipolar
disorder, major depression) and substance abuse disorders after statistical
controls were instituted for a wide range of personal, situational, and
demographic variables".

*  120% higher risk of alcohol abuse
*  145% increased risk of alcohol dependence
*  79% higher risk of drug abuse
*  126% increased risk of drug dependence
*  167% higher risk of bipolar disorder
*  48% increased risk of major depression
*  111% increased risk of panic disorders
*  44% greater risk of panic attacks
*  59% increased risk of PTSD
*  95% increased risk of agoraphobia
  -  Coleman et al, 'Induced Abortion & Anxiety', 'Mood and Substance Abuse
Disorders', 2008.

With these facts and references in mind, I urge you once again to give your full
support to EDM 834 and to bring these facts to the attention of your
parliamentary colleagues so that they may also offer their support to this
important Early Day Motion.

Sincerely,

....... ............... (your name - and address if appropriate)

The League of the Kingship of Christ

On the same day that Integrity & Action supporters were protesting outside Marie
Stopes House, in central London on 16th October, some of our male activists were
engaged in a weekend of important doctrinal lectures in Bristol, organised by
the Catholic mens' study group The League of the Kingship of Christ.

The League of the Kingship of Christ was originally founded in Dublin in 1926,
the same year that Pope Pius XI issued his famous encyclical, Quas primas, on
the Kingship of Christ. The League was founded by Rev. Fr. Edward Cahill, S.J.,
and usually referred to by its Irish name of An Ríoghacht. It's purpose was to
educate Catholics in regard to the social doctrine of the Church and to
implement that doctrine in practical ways for the benefit of Irish society;
bringing her fully back under the Kingship of Christ.

The mantle of An Ríoghacht was taken-up in later decades by Maria Duce,
founded by Rev. Fr. Denis Fahey, C.S.Sp, and The League of the Kingship of
Christ resurrected once more in recent times by The Society of Saint Pius X,
itself founded by Fr. Fahey's former Superior General in the Holy Ghost Fathers,
Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.

The purpose of The League of the Kingship of Christ is threefold:

1)   Prayer

2)   Study

3)   Action

Several Catholic Action groups have already arisen from the important social and
moral doctrinal study undertaken by The League of the Kingship of Christ.

Study is provided hand-in-hand with a solid spiritual formation offered by its
chaplains, which includes the undertaking of regular Ignatian Retreats.

So it was that thirteen Integrity & Action supporters spent an intellectually
invigorating and thoroughly enjoyable weekend in the company of Bishop Richard
Williamson, SSPX.

The lecture agenda was as follows:

1) St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae

2) How an Article of the Summa Works

3) St. Thomas' Five Ways to Prove the Existence of God

4) God's Movement of Creatures

5) St. Thomas' Treatise on Law

6) Nature and Definition of Law

7) St. Thomas: Various Kinds of Law

8) St. Thomas: Eternal Law

9) St. Thomas on Natural Law

10) The Old Moral Law and The Decalogue

Integrity & Action consider it of utmost importance that all
traditionally-minded Catholics in this country consider supporting and joining
the League.

Across our land Christian morality, and even Natural Law itself, is being
flouted more and more grievously each year. Catholics are daily
faced with a society that is, in many respects, founded upon a rejection of
Christ. It is incumbent upon Catholics to equip ourselves for the good fight, to
understand better the Faith, particularly in those areas where today it is
most challenged; and above all, to sanctify ourselves.

The League of the Kingship of Christ is an organisation for men which aims to
propagate amongst them a better knowledge of Catholic social principles; to
strive for the fullest recognition of those principles in public life; and to
promote an effective Catholic Action. Most importantly, however, it aims, as a
prerequisite, to encourage its members to deepen their spiritual lives for
without holiness, without the presence of the charity of God in members’ souls,
all of the League’s study and the works resulting from them will prove futile.

The League of the Kingship of Christ also produce a journal, Christus Rex, that
is available upon request and emailed in PDF format.

They can be contacted at: leaguekc@hotmail.com