EXPLANATION OF THE JUBILEE OF HOPE LOGO 2025 

 

The CROSS is the ultimate symbol of Hope. It shows Jesus as our Light in the darkest of times and his final victory over death itself as we make our Pilgrimage of Hope this Year. 

 

The 4 figures represent all humanity bound together from the 4 corners of the earth. 

The BLUE symbolizes an image of Peace and Faith. The Sky, with Heaven above us. 

The GREEN symbolizes a universal image of Hope, Growth and Rebirth. 

The ORANGE symbolizes Joy, Vitality and the Light that shines our pathway of Faith. 

The RED symbolizes love, passion, and self-sacrifice, Christ’s sacrifice and His boundless love for humanity, but also the fire of the Holy Spirit and His strength that inspires Christians. 

 

The figures hold each other tightly – a bond of Christian love inviting us to lead the world in a Brotherhood of Hope. The figures are Clinging to the Cross which shows Jesus with his protective arms over us. Together we journey on our long Pilgrimage of life. 

 

The Cross turning into an Anchor, is a symbol of Christ and His infinite love for all of us. The agitated Waves below show the Storms, both in our lives and the World, which calls us to a deeper demand on our Faith and Hope in our loving God in this Jubilee Year.

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JUBILEE 2025 PRAYER

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Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.

May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally.

May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever.

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The Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

 

Represents the Christian mystery of Redemption. 

 

Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Byzantine icon that is believed to have its origin sometime during the 13th -15th century.  The image is also known as  

“Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.” 

The miraculous depicts the Virgin Mary, under the title “Mother of God,”  

holding the Child Jesus. 

 

The Archangels Michael and Gabriel, hovering in the upper corners, hold the instruments of the Passion. St. Michael (in the left corner) holds the spear, the wine-soaked sponge, and the crown of thorns. St. Gabriel (in the right corner) holds the cross and the nails. 

 

The artist portrays the Child Jesus seeing the vision of His future Passion frightened by the vision, he runs to his mother for consolation. The anguish He feels is shown by the loss of one of His sandals as he quickly flees into the arms of his Mother.  

Despite a foreboding vision of suffering, the icon also conveys the triumph of Christ over sin and death, symbolized by the golden background as a sign of the glory of the resurrection. The royal crowns on the heads of Jesus and Mary also symbolize their triumph as the King of Kings with his Queen Mother – her dress in Red – the colour of an Empress. 

In a very beautiful way, the Child Jesus grasps the hand of the Blessed Mother. He seeks comfort from His mother as He sees the instruments of His passion. The position of Mary’s hands – both holding the Child Jesus (who seems like a small adult) and at the same time pointing Him to us with her fingers – convey the reality of our Lord’s incarnation, that He is true God who became also true man.  

 

What Our Lady of Perpetual Help Means for Us 

Just as the Child Jesus fled into the arms of his mother when he was frightened, we flee into the arms of our Blessed Mother with child-like confidence whenever fear envelopes our hearts. Just as the Virgin Mother consoled and comforted her Divine Child, so too does she console and comfort us, her spiritual children, in our afflictions. We can always come to her in our time of need and receive her help. 

In this iconography, Mary is represented as the one who guides us to the Redeemer. The Virgin Mother is also our Help who intercedes with her son on our behalf.  

 

The Greek inscriptions read MP-ΘΥ (Μήτηρ Θεοῦ, Mother of God), ΟΑΜ (Ὁ Ἀρχάγγελος Μιχαήλ, Michael the Archangel), ΟΑΓ (Ὁ Ἀρχάγγελος Γαβριήλ, Gabriel the Archangel) and IC-XC (Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, Jesus Christ), respectively. 

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GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH

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A potted history.

In the mid 1960’s there were many Catholic families in the 4 Lane End area. In the main they had to walk down to St Alban’s for Sunday Mass but yearned for a church of their own. Permission was granted for a Sunday Mass at St Mary’s College. The Marist Fathers expressed their desire to help with the pastoral need of this community, having arrived there in 1925. A Church building was planned, and it was established as a chapel of ease within the parish of St. Albans and the Good Shepherd Church was entrusted to them by Bishop Holland. The Church of the Good Shepherd was officially registered as a place of worship on the 13th of July 1967. A year later, almost to the day, Bishop Holland gave it parochial status. That was on 12th of July 1968 and on the same day Fr. Charles Howarth S.M. was constituted Parish Priest. After Father Howarth, Fr. Bert Ledwick became our Parish Priest and remained so until his retirement in 2001. For a short time, we were cared for by Fr. Clive Birch but then, in 2002 the Marists decided they had to withdraw from administering the parish. The Diocesan policy currently was to close ‘Chapels of Ease’. Canon Jude asked Bishop Burke to spend a Sunday with us and was so impressed, he decided to make Good Shepherd an exception to the rule! And so, we came full circle, when Canon Jude agreed to take us on board. So, as we began with St. Albans we became part of the St. Albans parish again. We remember with gratitude the priests, who, under Bishop Holland, worked to establish our parish: Canon McEnery, Canon Hughes, Fr. Denis Green, S.M. Provincial Superior of the Marist Fathers and all the Marist priests who have cared for us so wonderfully.

 

As time has moved along, by the early 2020’s, the congregation had dropped so much that a decision about its future had to be made. Fr Jude had an accident in March 2023 and Good Shepherd was temporarily closed. The parishioners were made welcome both at Holy Souls & St Alban’s and with sad agreement the canonical process for full closure began. Bishop Arnold celebrated this mass on 12th December 2024 which was attended by many ex-parishioners & friends, and Frs. Jude & Joe and Fr Noel Wynn from the Marist Order. A fine Buffet & drinks completed the evening with many stories and photos shared by everyone.

 

GOOD SHEPHERD LIVES ON At the front of Our Lady’s Chapel is the Altar from Good Shepherd Church that was crafted by Vicent Tomlinson, one of the founder members of the community. A master carpenter, who with his family created the Altar, Lectern, Baptismal and Tabernacle Stands from Oak wood. Bless them, because they fitted the Altar together with bolts, rather than glue & nails, which allowed us to dismantle and re-assemble it here before you. The Lectern Stand is to your right and we have an Olive Wood carving of the Manger at Bethlehem resting on it, with the Angel Gabriel holding his protective arms around the Holy Family. The framed picture of the Good Shepherd to your left. The Tabernacle and the Baptismal Stand are now in Holy Souls Church. The Statues, Stations of the Cross and other religious items have been shared with local churches and schools. OUR LADY’S CHAPEL Every Catholic Church usually has a ‘Side Chapel’ dedicated to Our Lady. Mary and the child Jesus are at the center of the Altar. Mary holds the Child Jesus in her arms. She holds him tenderly, and yet ‘offering him to us’. Jesus’ arms are outstretched to you – inviting a response from you, to both come to him, and truly, to allow him to come to you and enter your heart. Mary stands upon the Serpent….. this recalls Eve being tempted by the serpent in the Garden of Eden…. And the prophesy that the ‘New Eve’ would crush its head under her feet. With the Cresent Moon… from Book of the Apocalypse with Mary depicted as the Queen of Heaven. On the left is a Statue of St Agnes. She lived from 291 to 304 and was a young Virgin Martyr. The devotion to her grew rapidly and she became a true role model of chastity. The Agnesian Confraternity brought girls and women together to pray, to help in parish work and enjoy time with each other. St Agnes became a patron of Girl Scouts. The Agnesians played a great part in the life of St Alban’s. On the right is St Joseph, Our Lady’s husband. They are never far apart in church! Around Our Lady’s Statue are Mosaics of the 15 Decades of the Rosary. From left to right it begins with the 1st decade of the Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation. The mosaics continue with the Sorrowful and then the Glorious Mysteries finishing with Mary, the Queen of Heaven.

 

SACRED HEART CHAPEL Most Catholic Churches of a reasonable size will have a Chapel dedicated to The Sacred Heart. Devotion to the Sacred Heart blossomed with the apparitions of Jesus to St Margaret Mary Alacoque, who lived in the Convent at Paray-le-Monial in Southern France from 1671 to 1690. She experienced many visions and ecstasies, and like St Bernadete of Lourdes, didn’t have an easy life in the convent! Her unquestionable goodness, her writings and courage deeply helped to grow the devotion to the Sacred Heart in the Catholic Church. Jesus’ heart was pierced by a lance when he died on the cross. This became a symbol of his love for us. To say to someone.. ‘I love you with all my heart’.. is WHOW.. and this is the love Jesus has for you. If someone ‘bears his soul to you’.. it is a real ‘opening up’… Jesus bears his heart to you, before you, with a Crown of Thorns on it as well!! Round the wooden Reredos are frescos of Angels carrying images of Jesus’ passion. Bottom Left: ‘Hammer & Nails’ of Thorns Top Left: Jesus’ Robe Middle Left: Crown Top Right: Scourging at the Pillar & Whips Middle Right: Jesus Face on Veronica’s towel Bottom Right: Spear & Hyssop Stick - INRI ‘Jesus Christ King of the Jews’ The Stain Glass Window, restored by Raymond O’Brien in 2002, was donated by Edmund & Anne Smith. Probably when this church was opened on 8th Dec: 1901. The Rembrandt painting of the ‘Prodigal Son’ (sadly, only a print!) shows the Son kneeling at his Father’s feet. On the right is the Elder Brother with his hands crossed in disapproval. Seated, probably is the Father’s Bailiff along with a wealthy friend and barely visible in the top left of the picture is the shadowy image of the Mother. The Father’s 2 hands are quite different, the right is smaller and softer, it is the ‘Mother’s hand’ and the left is bigger.. and is the hand of the Father. Rembrandt is showing the real deep mercy & forgiveness of God.. and the ‘motherly side of our God’. The beautiful Marble Plaque was donated by the Ukraine Community who have had long association here at St Alban’s with a once regular Monthly Mass in their language. The plaque celebrates a Millenium of Christianity in Ukraine from 988 to 1988. Showing 2 of their great Saints: St Volodymyr and St Olga. The Altar at the front was previously the one that was on the main Sanctury. It would have been erected in the late 1960’s after the 2nd Vatican Council brought in many changes to the Liturgy. Including: Mass to be said in the vernacular (our own language) and Mass to be celebrated facing the people, rather than when the priest was at the High Altar with his back to the congregation. So, this Altar was built and placed at the front of the Sanctuary. It did look small in comparison to the whole of the Sanctuary.

 

When Notre Dame School and Chapel were closed in the late 1980’s, the nuns there allowed local churches to take whatever they wished from the Chapel. Fr Jude thought that the ‘High Altar’ with its beautiful Mosaics would look wonderful here at St Alban’s…. but…. At the time the Parish Coffers were empty, and a new heating system was being installed. One Sunday Mass at his sermon, he told the congregation of this thought….. to his amazement, many ladies actually stood up in Church and pledged money …. ‘we all went to Notre Dame.. we prayed at that Altar.. bring it here.. they loudly spoke’. Bundles of £10 notes poured into the presbytery letter box.. and the Notre Dame Altar was dismantled and re-assembled on the main Sanctuary. The 1960’s Altar was re-fitted here at the Sacred Heart Chapel. Another example of the faith and generosity of St Alban’s people.

 

CAFOD’S ETHIOPIAN JUBILEE ICON This ICON created by an Ethiopian Catholic artist, helps us to focus on Justice in any war-torn country, but especially here an Ethiopian. The ICON helps us towards true prayer. It shows Jesus in Ethiopia with its people in their local dress, head coverings and facial expressions. Jesus is reading the passage from the Prophet Isaiah “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me..to give freedom to captives, sight to the blind and proclaim A YEAR OF THE LORD’S FAVOUR” A call to our Jubilee Year 2025. The crowd listen attentively to Jesus, their eyes fixed on him, absorbing the Word of God. All are there, young & old, sick & the old lady bottom right, disabled. Jesus wears a Golden Halo showing his Divinity. His right hand is raised to show he is preaching God’s Word. Man on his right holds a leather bag used to carry the Holy Bible in Ethiopia. The writing is in Ethiopian Jewish language. The Rainbow is a symbol of HOPE for all people - from the Rainbow in the Old Testament over Noah’s Ark to the New Testament. Jesus is in the ‘open countryside’ away from the Brick Wall (middle right) inviting all the people of the world to gather and hear the Jubilee message of Freedom and Hope.