Pauline Year

The Pauline Year 2008-2009

Pope Benedict has declared a Jubilee Year to St Paul which started on the 28th June 2008 and will continue until the 29th June 2009 in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of St Paul. Here you will find details of the events we are co-ordinating to mark this special Pauline Year.

	The Mass in Westminster Cathedral marked the beginning of the Pauline Year. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor was the celebrant, together with 3 bishops, the Abbot of Farnborough, priests from the Society of St Paul and a number of diocesan priests. Over 500 gathered in Westminster Cathedral on 28th June 2008 to mark this auspicious occasion. The Cardinal’s homily at this Mass can be heard on the Diocese of Westminster Pauline Year website.
	We have donated icons of St Paul to the dioceses in which we have bookshops. It is our hope that these icons would form an important part of the diocesan celebrations of the Pauline Year. The Cardinal blessed the icon given to the Diocese of Westminster at the Mass in Westminster Cathedral, it is to journey around the parishes of the diocese throughout the Year.
	Archbishop Vincent Nichols was presented with Birmingham’s icon by Fr Celso Godilano ssp, Regional Superior of the Society of St Paul. This icon is to journey around the deaneries of the diocese.
	As part of the Pauline Year celebrations, St Pauls Bookshop has presented a hand painted icon of St Paul to the Diocese of Leeds. Bishop Roche, upon accepting the icon on behalf of the diocese from Fr Celso Godilano, said the icon will tour the deaneries and schools of the diocese, returning to the Cathedral in June 2009.

New Bookshop in York

As part of our Pauline Year celebrations we have opened a bookshop in York. On 11th September 2008, following a procession from the Shrine of St Margaret Clitherow, the Bishop of Middlesbrough, the Rt Revd Terence Drainey, formally opened and blessed the shop on King’s Square.

A large number of people from around the diocese joined in the celebrations, together with representatives from the Anglican Archdiocese of York. Before, and after, the blessing entertainment was provided on King’s Square by Umdumo Wesizwe, a group of a cappella singers from Zimbabwe.

The shop stocks a full range of books, cards, devotional articles, church furnishings and everything else you would expect to find in a ST PAULS bookshop. Uniquely for ST PAULS, it also has a second-hand department, for which we welcome donations and are willing to make purchases from individuals. Enquiries regarding second-hand books should be made direct to York.

Bp Drainey cuts the ribbon to open a St Pauls bookshop in York

Publications

We have produced a number of prayer cards and booklets for the Pauline Year, some of which are being distributed free of charge from our bookshops, together with the Holy Father’s catechesis on St Paul which he delivered as part of his Wednesday general audiences in Rome in 2006. For details of these, contact any of our bookshops.

The Greatest of These is Love The first of the books we published to celebrate the Pauline Year is The Greatest of These is Love, a series of meditations on the writings of St Paul, written by Bishop Michael Campbell of Lancaster.	Joanna Bogle, in her review, published in the Catholic Times, says of this book: “Used month by month, this book would provide a really deep sense of unity with this long-ago apostle whose work and words are still living with us.” Bishop Campbell was in our London shop on 28th June signing copies at the official launch.
Magnus Sanctus Paulus We suggested to Jeremy DeSatge of The Music Makers that they produced a CD which would be a meditation on St Paul in words and music. Magnus Sanctus Paulus contains music sung by Schola Cantamus and excerpts from St Paul’s writings read by Bishop Bernard Longley. This CD was also launched in our London bookshop on June 28th.
Saint Paul: Friend of Jesus Other books published during the course of the Pauline Year include a book on the life of St Paul for children Saint Paul: Friend of Jesus , written by Jack O’Neill, Head Teacher of St Vincent de Paul School in Westminster, and illustrated by Kati Teague.
Sister Wendy Contemplates Saint Paul in Art Sister Wendy Beckett has written a book for St Pauls, Sister Wendy Contemplates Saint Paul in Art in which she provides commentaries on forty pictures of St Paul. "Here is a selection of what seems to me the finest and most insightful pictures of St Paul, chosen so that we can enjoy the art as art, and as a signifier of some spiritual truth." (Sr Wendy). Writing about St Paul, Christopher Howse said in his column in the Daily Telegraph: "Through this book of 40 works of art, I have at last found a way in to this difficult writer. St Paul is all the more difficult because we think that, as he is in the Bible, we ought to find his words congenial." Read the complete article here.
Sister Wendy was in our Westminster shop on 26th November to celebrate the publication of her book. She is pictured here with Fr Slawomir Witon, Sub-Administrator of Westminster Cathedral.	The date of 26th November was chosen for the official launch of the book as this is also Founder’s Day for the Society of St Paul, the day in 1971 on which our founder, Blessed James Alberione, died.
To mark the publication, a copy of the book was presented to Bishop John Arnold, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, who said "It is always a great pleasure to be in the presence of someone who is not only knowledgeable about a subject but also so enthusiastic. Sr Wendy is able to communicate her faith with almost youthful vitality and I have no doubt that her contribution through her writing and broadcasting challenges and assists the faith of many in this secular age."
It was announced at the launch that Sister Wendy has agreed to write other books for St Pauls following the theme "Sister Wendy Contemplates....". Details of these will appear on our website in due course.
The Way of the Cross with Saint Paul Published to Celebrate the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul 2009, The Way of the Cross with Saint Paul, written by Bishop Michael Campbell OSA, guides us through each Station of the Cross with enriching insights into the thoughts of the great Apostle Paul. Illustrated with original line drawings by Francis Teague, these meditations and prayers help us contemplate afresh, and to make our own, the poignant journey of Our Blessed Lord on his way to, and beyond, Calvary.
Saint Paul: Teacher, Pupil, Lover For more than 2000 years Christians have been following the example of the Apostle Paul in the hope of deepening their faith in Christ Jesus by becoming sharers in the powerful graces that so transformed Paul’s life. In Saint Paul: Teacher, Pupil, Lover, an educationalist and a theologian have come together to produce a practical, informative and user friendly book on the Apostle Paul for use in schools and parishes. It offers guidance and direction on themes to develop a love and understanding of St Paul’s life, letters and message.
To complete our new publications in celebration of the Pauline Year, Fr Richard Parsons' book The Good News of Saint Paul for Today will be published in the Spring.