POPE BENEDICT XVI PRESS PACK Hyde Park Prayer Vigil
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POPE BENEDICT XVI
PRESS PACK
Hyde Park Prayer Vigil
Contents
1. Introduction
a. Whose heart?
b. Aims
c. Nations at Prayer
d.Ecumenism
e.Evangelistic Dimension to the Vigil
f.Catholic Faith: A Summary
2. Practical arrangements (including contact details for press officers)
3. Background information to ‘The Hyde Park Prayer Vigil’
a. Hyde Park
b. The Prayer Vigil
c. The ‘Cathedral Arena’
4. The Programme
Arrivals 1300 – 1400
Part One 1400 – 1600 Gathering
Part Two 1600 – 1700 The Procession
Part Three 1700 – 1755 The Heart of the Church
Part Four 1755 – 1830 The Build Up To the Holy Father’s Arrival
Part Five 1830 – 1945 The Vigil Liturgy
5. The Integrity of the Vigil
6. The Participants
7. The Legacy
8. Appendix
Additional information about some of the groups participating in part one of the Vigil programme
11. Introduction
As Catholics we are often asked by others to explain our faith. People ask, ‘What does it mean to be a
Catholic?’, ‘Why is the Pope important?’ and ‘What is Benediction?’
The Prayer Vigil provides Catholics in England, Scotland and Wales the chance not only to celebrate their faith
but to explain it and demonstrate how it influences their lives and the lives of those around them.
The Hyde Park Prayer Vigil will showcase the strong positive contribution that the Catholic Church makes to
society as a whole and the way in which it works alongside secular agencies and organisations.
The theme of the Visit, ‘Heart speaks unto heart’, is also the theme of the Vigil.
a. Whose Heart?
During the Vigil an opportunity will be provided for everyone to encounter the loving heart of God. This
will happen through the proclamation of God’s Word (the Bible) and during the prayer before the Blessed
Sacrament, which is the real presence of God among us.
Stories will also be told during part of the programme about how people’s hearts have been touched, and lives
transformed, through contact with Catholic agencies and charities who work to show people through service,
the reality of God’s loving heart. The ‘Heart of the Church’ 55 minute presentation will showcase the breadth
of work done in service of everyone, for the common good.
The Vigil programme, which will climax with the arrival of the Pope, will communicate that ‘heart speaking
to heart’ is authentically understood as both spiritual encounter and faith in action. We encounter God in the
depths of our own hearts during times of prayer and this experience compels us to share that love with others
through our actions.
b. Aims of the Vigil
1. For people to welcome and pray with Pope Benedict XVI, their bishops and with one another;
2. To lead people to an encounter with Jesus Christ through hearing his Word and worshipping his presence in
the Blessed Sacrament;
3. To celebrate and witness to the joy of being a follower of Jesus and of Catholic life;
4. To celebrate and inform how Catholics serve our countries, provide a public benefit and contribute to the
common good;
5. To present today’s face of Catholicism in the UK through community participation in the event.
c. Nations at Prayer
It is also hoped that the Vigil will be participated in by people outside the Park, through all England, Scotland
and Wales, in countries on every continent via a live feed on the official papal visit website: www.thepapalvisit.
org.uk.
2d. Ecumenism
In liaison with ‘Churches Together’, Catholic parishes have also been invited to join with Christians from
other denominations to watch the Vigil in local halls and schools. Instructions for how to do a live link up are
provided on: http://www.thepapalvisit.org.uk/2010-Visit/Papal-Visit-Resources/Parish-Resources/Local-
Events
e. Evangelistic Dimension to the Vigil
1. The event is tied to ‘Home Mission Sunday’ which Catholic parishes are marking the weekend of 18th-19th
September. The Sunday is an annual day of prayer for the spread of the Gospel in our countries.
2. Every person who takes part in the event – on stage or in the procession – has been invited to share their
faith story online and / or with their local parish and newspaper. The focus of each story is to witness to a
moment when God spoke to someone’s heart and made his presence, his love and mercy manifest.
3. A DVD will be produced of the event to be used for teaching purposes in parishes and schools. It will also
be made available to people who are not Catholics but are interested in finding out more about it.
f. Catholic Faith: A Summary
Catholics are Christians which means that they are followers of Jesus Christ. They believe Jesus Christ is fully
God and fully man, the Son of God, their friend, liberator, Lord and Saviour. Catholics believe that Jesus Christ
began the Church (Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 16, verse 18) to pass on the fullness of his teaching, his life,
and to carry on his work.
Catholic means universal. There are over one billion people worldwide who are members of the Catholic
Church which was founded by Jesus Christ in the first century AD. It is made up of a large family of people
from every race, colour and social background, who share a common vision and beliefs. Whatever part of the
world they live in, they are in communion (united) with one another in a special way through their leaders who
they believe to be chosen and appointed by God.
‘Church’ means the gathering of the people of God. The church building is the focal point for Catholic
community gatherings, and is a place where friendships are made and lives shared. People gather there to
pray, and to learn about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The ‘sacraments’ are a very important part of
Church life. These are God-given spiritual channels through which life flows. The ‘Eucharist’ is a very special
sacrament. When Catholics come together to celebrate ‘Mass’ they share a holy meal and believe that through
it they are fed, under the appearance of bread and wine, the Body and Blood of Christ. During the Mass a
miracle takes place. When the priest says a special prayer over the bread, it is changed by God’s power, so
that Jesus is present in it in a unique way. Though it still looks like bread, Jesus’ living presence is there, and
this is what Catholics call ‘Holy Communion’ because they are united with God when they receive it. The seven
sacraments are: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Matrimony and Holy
Orders.
3The Catholic Church takes care of its community through a network of leaders, teachers and helpers. The
head of the Catholic Church worldwide is Pope Benedict XVI. Locally, the Church is led by bishops and priests.
Jesus taught that we should love our neighbour as ourselves (Mark’s Gospel, chapter 12, verse 31). Catholics
try to put this into practice and find it to be a life-giving and fulfilling way to live. They are involved in a wide
variety of charitable works such as running hostels for the homeless and caring for the elderly.
Some of the core parts of Jesus’ teaching are:
• God loves us
• Believing in him is the way to true freedom, peace and happiness
• We should love God and one another, especially the poor and needy
• Our messes, mistakes and wrongs can be put right - we can be forgiven and know peace
• We can be healed from deep wounds and hurts by calling on the name of Jesus
• If we believe in Jesus and sincerely try to follow His Way, we will inherit eternal life and live with him in
heaven
More information about the Catholic Faith is offered by the Catholic Enquiry Office (CEO): www.life4seekers.
co.uk Information about how to make contact with a local CEO representative will be published on the Papal
Visit website from 9th September: www.thepapalvisit.org.uk
2. Practical arrangements
Accreditation
In order to attend The Hyde Park Prayer Vigil as media, it is necessary to obtain accreditation.
Media accreditation for the Papal Visit is handled by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
The application process has now closed.
Applications are no longer being accepted.
Press contact information
Please note that the event at Hyde Park is a liturgical event and so any questions on the content should be
directed to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England & Wales.
Before 18th September please contact:
Catholic Communications Network (CCN)
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
39 Eccleston Square
London
SW1V 1BX
CCN tel: 020 7901 4800
CCN email: ccn@cbcew.org.uk
Press Officers (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales) on site at the event on 18th September:
Clare Ward
4Mary Wang
Peter Heneghan
Deacon Mark Woods
Fr John Flynn
The Papal Visit News Coordination Centre (NCC) Operation contact details are as follows. The telephone
numbers are being monitored from Weds 15th September:
The generic email address which all in the NCC will have access to is
nccinformation@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk
Management Team
020 7276 3300
Press Team
020 7276 5001
Interview Requests, Briefing and Media Monitoring
020 7276 6606
3. Background information to ‘The Hyde Park Vigil’
a. Hyde Park
The History of the Park
Hyde Park is one of London’s finest landscapes and covers over 350 acres. King Henry VIII acquired the park
from the monks of Westminster Abbey in 1536; it remained a private hunting ground until James I came to the
throne and permitted limited access. It was Charles I who, in 1637, opened the park to the general public, and
over time it became a venue for national celebrations. In 1814 the Prince Regent organised fireworks to mark
the end of the Napoleonic Wars, in 1851 (during Queen Victoria’s reign) the Great Exhibition was held and in
1977 a Silver Jubilee Exhibition was held in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s 25 years on the throne. Today it is
famous for its concerts such as the Proms in the Park and for hosting charity runs.
A Place of Witness
Hyde Park is a particularly relevant site as it is known throughout the world.
Speakers’ Corner is at the north east entrance to the park but this spot also had a notorious past. It was the
site of the Tyburn gallows and hanging tree, a place of execution possibly as early as 1108 until 1759 when
executions were moved to Newgate prison. And the two are possibly related:
‘When finally at the gallows, felons might speak to the crowd and these speeches often would be directed
right at the heart of the state. Catholics, for example, took advantage of the blurred division between treason
and religion in their dying speech by embracing the authority of the monarchy but retaining open opposition
to the Church of England. As such these martyrs opened up a public theological debate. Some of those who
listened to these last speeches actually became convinced of their authenticity and converted to the Catholic
cause.’
5Source unknown
In Catholic and Anglican history it is the site of the gallows where many of the Reformation martyrs, both
Catholic and Anglican were executed, and therefore it has a unique ecumenical significance and this can be
another moment of reconciliation.
The spot where the gallows stood is now marked by a stone plaque on a traffic island near Marble Arch, and
the Tyburn Convent close by has relics (the earthly remains) of Reformation Martyrs from 1535-1681.
The celebration in Hyde Park will be the largest Papal event in the London part of the State Visit and
comparable in attendance to the two Masses at Cofton Park and Bellahouston Park. Pope Benedict will address
our society in this ‘Place of Witness’ and the biblical readings for the liturgy have been chosen with the theme
and the setting in mind.
b. The Prayer Vigil
The Vigil is intended to be a celebration of the life and vitality of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
It aims to showcase that although Catholics are a minority in the United Kingdom, the Catholic Church has a
proud history, is a model of ethnic diversity and cohesion and is deeply involved in the social and cultural life
of British Society.
The Vigil will consist of music, readings, dramatic presentations and a period of prayer and contemplation. It
is envisaged that Pope Benedict will speak for fifteen to twenty minutes during the gathering.
The Celebration at Hyde Park will be a Prayer Vigil rather than a Mass. At the heart of the Vigil will be
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction. The ‘Blessed Sacrament’ is the name given to the Body
of Christ (in the appearance of bread) that has already been consecrated during a Catholic Mass and which is
reserved for those who are sick or dying or (as in the case of the Vigil) for reverence and worship. The Blessed
Sacrament (for the Vigil, a special large round Host will have been consecrated) is enshrined in a vessel known
as a Monstrance, before which prayers are said (Exposition). Those present are blessed by the Lord Jesus
Christ, truly present in the Blessed Sacrament, as the Pope raises the Monstrance and makes the sign of the
cross with it.
Who will be involved?
Participants have been invited from every parish in England, Scotland and Wales, from the Catholic
organisations and charities, and from the new religious movements and ethnic chaplaincies. Every parish in
England and Wales has been invited to have a representative in the entrance procession
In addition, this event will be streamed live via the papal website across the world.
c. The ‘Cathedral Arena’
The arena has been described by the event’s company as being in the shape of a Cathedral. The star-cloth
stage backdrop mimics the ceiling of the Florentine basilicas and has echoes of the unfinished vaults of
Westminster Cathedral. A clear September sky would complete the set.
The staging area has been designed to incorporate a central sanctuary (altar, ambo and chair), seating for
the papal entourage, the Bishops of England and Wales, and space for a choir and orchestra of 250 musicians
(stage left) as well as tiered seating for the musicians and performers on stage prior to the Holy Father’s
arrival (stage left, back).
64. The Programme
The programme has five parts:
1. Performances of diverse Catholic music / drama groups from around the country perform 4-5 minutes each
on the theme ‘Heart Speaks unto Heart’.
2. An entrance procession by dioceses led by a contingent of diocesan youth, accompanied by a banner-
carrying representative from each parish and members of some Catholic organisations from each diocese;
3. A 55 minute presentation entitled, ‘The Heart of the Church’, which will illustrate the life of the Church
under four headings: a heart that sees, a heart that understands, a heart that serves and a heart that seeks
justice;
4. The build up to the Pope’s arrival;
5. The Vigil liturgy, consisting of a Liturgy of the Word (Bible focussed), a period of guided prayer during
adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and concluding with Benediction.
Arrivals 1300 – 1400
The gates of the venue will open at 1300. During this first hour pilgrims will begin to enter the Cathedral
Arena. Music from the pilgrim CD will be played. Information slides will be shown in a loop. Pilgrims will also
be invited to SMS their messages to the Hyde Park team with a selection being put up on the big screens
between 1300 – 1600: Text ‘pope’ followed by a short message to 81025. Standard network charges apply,
with the response message costing 25p.
Part One 1400 – 1600
Gathering
The two compères, scriptwriter, Frank Cottrell-Boyce and television presenter and author, Carol Vorderman,
welcome the assembled pilgrims. They introduce the theme of the Vigil and then welcome Liam McNally of
ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent who sets the tone of the Prayer Vigil by singing the ‘Our Father’. This version of
the Lord’s Prayer was written by Fr Gerard Bradley who is part of the formation staff at St John’s Seminary
- Wonersh. It is accompanied by Fr Gerard on the Pilgrims’ CD but here the organ is played by the Vigil’s
organist, Mr Charles Cole, assistant organist at Westminster Cathedral.
The acts that follow leading up to 1600 are:
More than Dance (two acts)
Rise Theatre Group (two acts)
Zywiec Polish Song and Dance Group
Larondina Dance Company (two acts)
Abladei UK Ghanaian Dance Group
Romani Rad, Doherty Academy (Coventry based Irish Dancing Group)
Brooks Academy Dancers, St Bernard’s Dance Company.
*More information about the participants can be found in the appendix.
7Part Two 1600 – 1700
The Procession
The hour from 1600 – 1700 will comprise a procession to represent the coming together of the Church from
England, Scotland and Wales. Banners will be carried by representatives from each diocese. Each diocesan
group will be greeted by their bishop or his delegate, and each group includes twenty young people from each
diocese as well as representatives from HCPT – The Pilgrimage Trust – and from Catholic Scouting. Concluding
the procession, representatives from major national Catholic organisations will bring their banners.
This procession witnesses to the presence of the Catholic Church in every part of England and Wales and of
Scotland, and of the range and diversity of the many, many groups within the Catholic Church – groups for the
service of others, for prayer and evangelisation, for the care of the ill and elderly, with and for the young, for
the care of the poor and vulnerable both at home and across the world.
The genre of music has been chosen to accompany the procession: joyful, upbeat, uplifting, designed to help
the pilgrims raise their minds and hearts to God in praise. The breadth of style of music also reflects the
diversity of music sung in parishes and chaplaincies throughout the UK. The order of music is:
‘Save us Lord our God’ - Christopher Walker
‘Christ be Our Light’ - Bernadette Farrell
‘Moto!’ (Fire) - African. Author unknown
‘Taste and See’ - Edwin Fawcett – London Gospel Choir
‘Let it Rise’ - Holland Davis – London Gospel Choir
‘Out of Darkness’ - Christopher Walker
‘One Bread, One Body’ - John Foley
‘Alleluia’ Author unknown – 3CG Choir
‘I Believe God is Real’ - Author unknown – 3CG Choir
‘We are marching in the light of God’ - Trad. South African
‘Shine Jesus Shine’ - Graham Kendrick
‘Surrexit Christus’ - Taize
The New English Orchestra (NEO) and the Diocesan Choir (made up of 140 singers representing 17 dioceses)
accompany and sing the music, with interludes from two other choirs: the Coventry Catholic Community
Gospel Choir (3CG) and the London Gospel Choir. For the words to the hymns, please refer to the Magnificat
booklet.
Those in the procession make their way through the arena of pilgrims and across the stage where they are
greeted by their bishop.
Part Three 1700 – 1755
The Heart of the Church
The Church is now assembled; we celebrate who we are in a presentation entitled, ‘The Heart of the Church’, a
55 minute combination of video clips on screen, live interviews on stage, and interactive participation with the
pilgrims in the arena through drama, music and intercessory prayer. The theme is developed under the sub-
headings: a heart that sees, a heart that understands, a heart that serves and a heart that seeks justice.
8Aims Of This Presentation
1. To communicate that God’s love is made manifest through the active faith of Catholics in the UK.
2. To illustrate how communities and individuals are being transformed because of (1.)
3. To renew those gathered to play their part in this transformation through what they do for others in their
everyday lives.
This part of the programme provides a snapshot of the Christian Faith in action. It aims to tell the story of the
Catholic community (and individuals) in Britain today.
Contributors
In the early part of the presentation three people will share their testimony. These stories will include the
experiences of a teenage human rights activist, a Catholic asylum seeker, and a young man whose life was
turned around thanks to the work of a Catholic charity.
Also speaking are the parents of a teenager who was murdered close to his home. They will describe how, in
response to their son’s death, they came to realise the vital necessity to forgive their son’s killers – and how
this led in turn to the transformation of their entire community.
A lady from Cardiff who works with prisoners will speak about her work.
Whilst a senior priest (a Vicar General) in the Diocese of Brentwood shares bracing, humorous and down-to-
earth experiences of when he was challenged to help someone who he’d preferred to have walked away from.
Films
Some short films will be played as part of the presentation to introduce the four themes and feature members
of the Catholic community from across our lands.
Stand Up Against Poverty
Towards the end of the presentation the pilgrims will be invited to stand to show their commitment to tackle
poverty and injustice.
Shortly after the gathering in Hyde Park World leaders will meet in New York to discuss a commitment made
ten years ago, to make progress to overcome poverty by 2015 for the poorest throughout the world. Cardinal
Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, will be at the UN Summit to review progress
and offer support.
It is hoped footage of the Stand at the Hyde Park Vigil will be shown in New York as part of a montage of
footage including groups doing the same from all over world.
This 55 minute presentation was commissioned by the Steering Committee, and produced by a team at
CAFOD in collaboration with the Catholic Enquiry Office (the later falls under the remit of the Home Mission
Desk of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales).
9Part Four 1755 – 1830 The Build Up To The Holy Father’s Arrival
A short video of highlights of the Papal Visit to date will lead into live coverage on screen of the Pope’s
journey by popemobile through the streets of London. This will be accompanied by The Priests singing
‘Laudamus Te’ (Vivaldi’s Gloria), ‘Lift Thine Eyes’ (Mendelssohn) and ‘King of Kings’ (written by The Priests).
The Priests are a classical musical group made up of three Catholic priests all from Northern Ireland. After
signing a record deal with SonyBMG in April 2008 the priests, all from the Diocese of Down and Connor,
recorded their debut album.
Once the Pope has entered the Park, the NEO will perform extracts from Handel’s Messiah (as time permits):
‘Glory to God’, ‘And the glory of the Lord’, ‘Rejoice greatly’, ‘Since by man came death’ and concluding with
‘Hallelujah Chorus’.
Part Five 1830 – 1945 The Vigil Liturgy
After the Opening Hymn (‘Christ be Beside Me’) and before the liturgy continues, Archbishop Peter Smith,
Archbishop of Southwark, will say a few words of welcome.
The liturgical service will consist of:
1. Liturgy of the Word
2. The lighting of the ‘Light of Witness’ and the procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the altar.
3. Exposition
4. Benediction
5. Final Prayer
1. The Liturgy of the Word is similar to the first half of every Catholic Mass. It comprises:
a. Opening Prayer (read by the Holy Father)
b. First Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21 (read by Tony Mills from Cardiff Archdiocese and HCPT – The
Pilgrimage Trust)
c. Psalm: Psalm 119 (sung by Esther Archer from Southwark Archdiocese)
d. Gospel Acclamation (the orchestra and choir greet the Gospel by singing Christopher Walker’s ‘Alleluia
Beati’). The Gospel Acclamation accompanies the action of the Pope blessing the deacon and the
deacon’s procession to the ambo (which is the elevated desk or pulpit from which Word of God – the
Bible – is chanted or read).
e. Gospel: Matt. 5:1-12,14-16. (read by Deacon Charlie Connor, a married ‘Permanent Deacon’ from the
Leeds Diocese)
f. Homily (or Sermon) given by Pope Benedict XVI
2. After the Pope’s homily, he will take a light from the large Paschal Candle by the altar and give it to the
youth who in turn will light the candles of those who came in procession. These candles will be taken back
to the parishes and institutions where they may be lit for prayer services after the Papal Visit. The music to
accompany this action is the Taizé chant, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, your light shines within us’.
The Holy Father goes backstage to change; on his return the Blessed Sacrament is brought in procession from
the chapel backstage and placed on the altar while the Taizé chant changes to ‘Adoramus Te, Domine’ (We
adore you, Lord).
103. While the Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the altar, the pilgrims are led in prayer.
a. The Priests sing ‘Panis Angelicus’ (see Magnificat booklet for the translation of the Latin).
b. A Litany to the Sacred Heart (read by Joe Mellone from the Brentwood Diocese, Caitlin Behan from
Northampton Diocese and Sherrie Eugene-Hart from Clifton Diocese)
c. ‘Be Still and Know’ sung by all.
d. Newman’s Prayer, ‘Radiating Christ’ (read by Daniel Roberts from Liverpool Archdiocese).
e. ‘Lead Kindly Light’, the hymn with words by Cardinal Newman
f. ‘Tantum Ergo’, the traditional Latin hymn sung at Exposition prior to Benediction during which the
Blessed Sacrament is incensed by the Pope.
Between each of these prayers and hymns there will be a few minutes of silent prayer.
4. Benediction: the Pope raises the Monstrance and Our Lord Jesus Christ, present in the Blessed Sacrament,
blesses the people by the action of the Pope making the sign of the cross with the Monstrance.
5. The Pope says the Final Prayer and the service concludes with the hymn, ‘Tell Out My Soul’, the words
of the Magnificat (Mary’s prayer when the angel, Gabriel, told her that she was to become the Mother of
God).
Liam McNally will then sing the ‘Nunc Dimittis’ while the Holy Father goes backstage to change.
When Pope Benedict returns on stage, the NEO will sing, ‘Thanks be to God’ and ‘Worthy is the Lamb’ (Handel).
5. The Integrity of the Vigil
There is a dynamic movement through the narrative of the five parts of the Vigil, climaxing when the
assembled pilgrims, joined in prayer with the successor of St Peter, worship Jesus in our midst.
The pilgrims journey from all parts of the UK to be together. Our diversity is represented by the groups who
perform in Part One and from where we have come is shown by the banners of the procession in Part Two. The
hierarchical nature of the Church is demonstrated by the bishops’ presence, welcoming their people.
Once assembled, we celebrate who we are and all that we do for the Church and our society through the
presentation in Part Three.
In Part Four, we anticipate the arrival of the Head of the Church so that all of this may be brought to prayer in
the final part of the Vigil. We pray for the Church, for our society and for ourselves that we
might be witnesses to God’s truth and unconditional love. The legacy aspects to the Vigil which we have
incorporated (see later in this document) seek to continue this work of mission.
6. The Participants
The aim of the Steering Committee was to try to be as inclusive and as representative as possible.
This was achieved most of all through invitations to join the procession and the choir. For the former, every
parish was invited to send a banner-carrying representative; the same invitation was made to every Catholic
organisation in the Catholic Directory. For the choir, knowing that it would only be possible to have one
rehearsal prior to the Vigil, there was a need for a core group of professional musicians. The New English
Orchestra (NEO) are committed Christians and their breadth of repertoire is perfect for the diversity of musical
genres needed on such an occasion.
11The Comperes
Carol Vorderman MBE grew up in North Wales where she went to Ysgol Mair Roman Catholic Primary
School during the 1960s and Blessed Edward Jones High School in the 1970s. Carol read Engineering at the
University of Cambridge, graduating at the age of 20. She is best known for co-hosting Countdown from
1982 to 2008 and her love of mathematics continues. Carol became one of the most successful women on
British television for many years, hosting shows on all the major channels. She has also written many books
about maths and Sudoku, and was the second most successful female author of the last decade selling
millions of non-fiction books during that period. Carol looks after her mother Jean and has two children
Katie, age 18, and Cameron, age 13. Her current passion is running her own internet maths school known as
www.themathsfactor.com which offers online learning and practice for children from age 4 to 12.
Agent: John Miles john@johnmiles.org.uk
Frank Cottrell-Boyce was born and bred in Liverpool. He was educated by the De La Salle Brothers at West
Park School in St Helens and studied English at Keble College in Oxford. Since graduation he has worked as
a full time scriptwriter. His film credits include Welcome to Sarajevo which starred Hollywood actor Woody
Harrelson and Oscar nominated Hilary and Jackie starring Emily Watson. He also wrote the script for the highly
acclaimed BBC drama God on Trial in which a group of prisoners explore the presence of God in Auschwitz.
Frank is a regular presenter of Pick of the Week on BBC Radio Four. As a children’s novelist his book Millions
won the Carnegie Medal and was filmed by Danny Boyce. He is married to Denise and they have seven
children.
Participating Groups in Part One
Liam McNally, www.liammcnally.net
Agent: Dan Waite, dan@migmanagement.com
As people make themselves comfortable in Hyde Park, a variety of groups welcome them, showing a rich
diversity of styles and traditions which are all part of the Catholic community in England and Wales. The
distinctive feature of many of these groups is that they work hard to include those who may otherwise not find
a place and a voice for such a performance.
The groups presenting dance, mime and movement are:
Abladei UK Ghanaian Dance Group
Brooks Academy Dancers
John Brooks
Doherty Academy
Danny Doherty
Larondina Dance Company
Angelina Alessandre
More than Dance
Kevin Atkinson
Romani Rad
Sylvia Ingmire
St Bernard’s Dance Company
Sian Keauffling-Burns
Zywiec Polish Song and Dance Group
Marta Sagajllo
Rise Theatre Group
Charley Pinfold
12Participating Choirs in Part Two
NEO: Conductor: Nigel Swinford. 45 orchestral players, 48 singers. www.newenglishorchestra.org
Diocesan Choir: 150 singers representing 17 dioceses.
London Gospel Choir: Conductor: Edwin Fawcett. 52 singers and instrumentalists. www.edwinfawcett.com
Coventry Catholic Community Gospel Choir (3CG): Contact: Neena Ducks. 23 singers. www.3CG.org.uk
Part Three
In the early part of the presentation three people will share their testimony. These stories will include the
experiences of a teenage human rights activist, a Catholic asylum seeker, and a young man whose life was
turned around thanks to the work of a Catholic charity.
Also speaking are the parents of a teenager who was murdered close to his home. They will describe how, in
response to their son’s death, they came to realise the vital necessity to forgive their son’s killers – and how
this led in turn to the transformation of their entire community.
A lady from Cardiff who works with prisoners will speak about her work.
Whilst a senior priest (a Vicar General) in the Diocese of Brentwood shares bracing, humorous and down-to-
earth experiences of when he was challenged to help someone who he’d preferred to have walked away from.
Performers in Part Four
The Priests are 3 Catholic priests from Northern Ireland who released their first album in 2008. cf. www.
thepriests.com
Hyde Park Prayer Vigil Steering Committee
Chair
Fr Andrew Headon
Vice Rector of the Venerable English College in Rome. He will begin serving as Parish Priest of Ss Peter and
Paul, Ilford in November. www.englishcollegerome.org
Committee Members
Fr Dominic Howarth
Chair of CMYFed which stands for the Catholic Youth Ministry Federation. It exists to help shape and support
Catholic Youth Ministry in England and Wales through facilitating the sharing of good ideas and best practice,
and the development of national strategy. www.cymfed.org
Clare Ward
Home Mission Advisor for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. She is also responsible for
the development of the Catholic Enquiry Office. www.catholicchurch.org.uk
Tom O’Connor
CAFOD Director - Communities and Supporters: CAFOD works in over fifty countries across Africa, Asia
and Latin America. Through its local partners on the ground it provides emergency relief and long-term
development support to some of the world’s poorest and most disadvantaged communities. www.cafod.org.uk
13Nigel Swinford
Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the New English Orchestra (NEO) which is composed of high
quality instrumentalists drawn from some of the top orchestras in the world. The NEO Singers are a polished
and versatile group with an extensive repertoire ranging from choral classics to contemporary works. http://
www.newenglishorchestra.org/index.asp
The Steering Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in the Vigil for
the generous sharing of their time and talents.
7. The Legacy
Proposed Post Event Outcomes (The Legacy)
1. For attendees to leave the event filled with the joy of being followers of Jesus Christ as members of the
Catholic Church;
2. To inspire and encourage attendees in their ongoing Christian journey by creating life-long memories to
sustain them in the days that follow;
3. That people go back to their communities as commissioned home missionaries, to carry and share the light
of Christ;
4. That the material presented as part of the event will be used post the 18th September in support of faith
enquirers, youth ministry, local and national evangelisation (e.g. through DVD production, the creation of a
photograph, stories and testimonies archive)
Building on the Papal Visit
Christ invites each of us into a personal relationship with him. His heart cries out for our heart to be one with
his. This invitation is also depicted in Holman Hunt’s, ‘Light of the World.’ Jesus is portrayed standing at our
door and knocking. He is inviting us to open up and let him into our lives.
As a legacy of Pope Benedict’s visit, 3,000 copies of the Holman Hunt image have been reproduced through
the kind permission of the Chapter of St Paul’s Cathedral, London, which is home to the original painting.
These copies have been framed and will be blessed by Pope Benedict at the end of the Vigil. They will be
distributed immediately after the Visit, along with a blessed candle, to every parish in the UK to encourage
prayer and witness. 200 copies will also be given to Catholic prison chaplains. For more information about
how the image can be used please see the downloadable sheet available from: http://www.thepapalvisit.org.
uk/2010-Visit/Papal-Visit-Resources/Parish-Resources
148. Appendix
Additional information about some of the groups participating in Part One of the Vigil programme
Rise Theatre Group
Rise seek to equip young people and those working with them to use their creativity to its full potential, and
offer training and workshops all over the country. www.risetheatre.co.uk
Larondina Dance Company
London based and offering dance opportunities to show the artistic talent of those with special
needs. The dance company’s structured syllabus helps to improve their posture, coordination, concentration
and communication – all to create that most vital of qualities: a heads-upconfidence.
www.asneeds.org.uk/larondina
More Than Dance
Based in the North East of England, introduces young people to dance, covering the area of faith, personal
development and well being. Today they will offer dynamic, strong and prayer filled reflective movement.
www.morethandance.co.uk
Zywiec Polish Song and Dance Group
This group is named after a town in the mountainous region in the highlands of southern Poland.
Their signature dances are the lively and loud dances of the highlanders of the Zywiec mountains. The group
is based in West London. www.zywiec.co.uk
Doherty Academy (Coventry) and Brooks Academy Dancers (London)
These are two well established groups of Irish dancers, following a long tradition of Irish Dance. See www.
irish-dancer.co.uk for these and other Irish Dance groups.
Romani Rad
Dancers from the Roma tradition, blending colourful costumes and folk music with roots from many centuries
ago. Information from the Roma Support Group, London.
St Bernard’s Dance Company
The dance group is made up of girls are aged between 12 and 16 and was set up by Sian Keauffling-Burns, a
professional trained Dancer and former pupil of St. Bernard’s Catholic High School, Westcliff on Sea.
St Bernard’s Dance Company was established September 2009, in response to a wide range of Dance talent
young people had in the area and at St Bernard’s itself. Its aim is to find a place in developing liturgical Dance
within the community and celebrate the high standard of Dance that young people and schools have when
given some dedicated support and encouragement.
Abladei UK Ghanaian Dance Group
The Vigil Steering Committee is very grateful to all the performance groups, choir members and Vigil
contributors.
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