In a video message to schools in the Diocese of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, has urged young people to make newcomers welcome.

The 5 minute message is the latest in a series of videos recorded by Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor for schools in the Diocese of Westminster.

 In the video Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connnor says:

“For all of us, as Catholics, Easter will be new beginning;  for migrants, the very act of arriving to our country is also a new beginning, one full of hope, but sometimes tinged with apprehension and uncertainty. This season of re-birth and renewed hope provides you with an opportunity to learn more about a newcomer to your school or parish. Make them feel that they are part of our Catholic community, mindful always that they too are made in the image of God and are a brother or sister to Christ.”

The video includes filmed interview with pupils from Poland, Italy and the Philippines  who have recently joined Cardinal Hinsley Mathematics and Computing College in Brent.  They speak about the way the school and other pupils have helped them feel welcome in London.

The video can be downloaded from the Diocese of Westminster’s website and also from its ‘You Tube’ page.

Full text of Video Message follows

“As we approach the season of Holy Week and Easter, I want to talk to you about a very important aspect of our life as Catholics which arises from the Eucharist -  the welcome we give to others, because all are welcome to approach the Table of the Lord.

How we receive newcomers in our diocese matters. St Paul reminded us that in Christ there can be no Jew or Greek, slave or free and so it must be in our communities. Where society sees a ‘foreigner’ or ‘stranger’ we see a brother or sister in the Lord.

And how we receive others says a lot about the strength of our communities. This is especially so in your Catholic schools, which are so important for children and their families new to London and Hertfordshire.

Catholic schools in our Diocese are a place where the universal nature of the Catholic church is very evident. The  support they give to children and families new to London and Hertfordshire helps them to become fully part of our society. That is also true of our Catholic parishes, which in today’s increasingly mobile and ‘virtual ‘world , provide a real community where all are welcome.

I’ve recently returned from a pastoral visit to South Africa and Zimbabwe. I was profoundly moved by the suffering and anguish of those living in terrible poverty and living with HIV/AIDs but also by the compassion and strength of those in the Church working with the most vulnerable, and through their work understanding and responding to the needs of the stranger.

This Lent, this theme of welcoming the stranger is at the heart of ‘Who is my Neighbour?, a daily meditation resource for our Diocese. Central to this resource is the theme of hospitality and understanding, with a special focus on the changing ethnic makeup of the Diocese and of society as a whole.

Successive waves of migration has brought challenges and opportunities to both the Church and to us as individuals. Today, in our Diocese of Westminster there are over 40  ethnic chaplaincies which pastor to Catholics from all over the world, including Albania, Brasil, Nigeria, Poland and Vietnam. We need to react to the demands made by those new to these shores by offering them a genuine welcome.

For all of us, as Catholics, Easter will be new beginning;  for migrants, the very act of arriving to our country is also a new beginning, one full of hope, but sometimes tinged with apprehension and uncertainty. This season of re-birth and renewed hope provides you with an opportunity to learn more about a newcomer to your school or parish. Make them feel that they are part of our Catholic community, mindful always that they too are made in the image of God and are a brother or sister to Christ.

It is my profound hope that you will do all that you can to make  newcomers welcome and become part of the family of Christ here in Westminster. In the words of St Paul ‘Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God’ 

I wish you all the blessings of Easter.”

NOTE TO EDITORS

The video can be downloaded from the Schools section of the Diocese of Westminster’s multimedia section at http://www.rcdow.org.uk/multimedia

And also from http://www.youtube.com/user/rcdownews

For further information contact:

Eddie Tulasiewicz

Diocesan Communications Officer

Tel. 020 7798 9031

Email eddiet@rcdow.org.uk

Address: Archbishop’s House, Ambrosden Avenue, London SW1P  1QJ.