An abbot in the Holy Land has criticised the international community, accusing people of treating the crisis “as if it was a simple game” rather than responding to the urgent needs of families trapped in a “terrible situation”.



Abbot Nikodemus Schnabel of Jerusalem’s Benedictine Dormition Abbey told ACN that it is important to look at the conflict from a Christian perspective.



Abbot Schnabel said: “People are dying while the world watches as if it was a simple game, where one waves flags for one team or another. But this is a terrible situation.



“This is not a football match, and it’s not about scoring points, seeing who has the most impressive stories or the best pictures.”



ACN has provided emergency aid – food coupons, life-saving medicine and help with housing costs and tuition fees – for more than 3,400 Christians in the Holy Land who have lost their livelihoods because of the conflict’s economic impact.

ABERGAVENNY VESTMENTS RESTORATION APPEAL.
“Medieval Vestment Guild”
Our set of medieval Vestments has just begun a long planned conservation process, which will take up to 2 years. The Brown Vestment is the first Vestment to be restored at a cost of £5000; it has now been returned to the Parish and is on display in Church over the Easter period. Over the next 2 years all the Vestments will be restored at a cost of approx. £25,000. We are asking if parishioners would contribute to the cost of this work, a suggested figure of £50 or £100; larger or smaller amounts are welcome of course. The Parish will also be using some of its financial reserves. Parishioners are welcome to make larger donations if they wish, or even to sponsor the whole cost of individual vestments, information on this is available at the Display in Church. We are also suggesting that the sponsorship can be offered in memory of departed loved ones. The Parish has also ordered a new storage unit for the vestments at a cost of £1200. Scholars from Durham University are also seeking funding to undertake research into the Vestments, their background and links to other medieval vestments.
A “Medieval Vestment Guild” will be formed, to which all sponsors will be admitted, with certificates of their sponsorship being provided. Mass will be offered weekly for all members of the Guild and for those in whose memory the sponsorship was offered.
Once all the Vestments have been conserved there will be a private viewing and Exhibition of the Vestments, open to the members of the “Medieval Vestment Guild.”
Please use the form below, payments can be made by Cheque/cash or by direct bank transfer.
Form available for download in the Parish News section.

The group meets next on Wednesday 17th April.

FOR AN END TO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN.
For the April prayer intention, Pope Francis calls for an end to discrimination against women.

An Asian woman with tears in her eyes, one behind a grate with a sad look on her face, a group of rape victims driven out of their villages, a line of teenage girls awaiting genital mutilation: the Video accompanying Francis’ prayer intention opens with strong images in line with the Pope’s heartfelt denunciation. Who recalls the great distance between statements of principle (“In words we all agree that men and women have equal dignity as persons”) and the reality of the facts (“in practice this does not happen”).

So many times before, in his monthly prayer intentions, Francis has asked the Church to pray for women. This time he puts the emphasis on the recognition of their dignity and wealth-the word recognize is no accident, because it does not indicate a concession on the part of states, but an awareness of a reality that already exists in itself-and denounces “the discrimination of which they are victims in various parts of the world.”

It is the Pope himself who gives examples, citing discriminatory laws currently in force: on the obligation to dress in a certain way, on prohibitions to continue studies, on the denial of subsidies to open a business. He asks governments to eliminate these discriminations and to work to ensure that women’s fundamental rights are guaranteed; he asks all of us to respect women, who unfortunately are still treated “as waste material” in many parts of the world and who very often-even in countries that call themselves more advanced-are victims of violence and abuse.

Andrea Sarubbi

Coordinator of The Pope’s Video

SVP - POVERTY IN THE OUR COMMUNITY:
The SVP would like to thank the parish for their generosity with donations with our recent annual collection, well over £1000 was donated in total. Your contributions will significantly help us with our ministry.
We: 1) actively helping people in financial crisis. 2) using our own and national financial resources to act immediately and fully 3) working within the network of all the national and local organisations . 4) are fully trained and security checked - legally required for anyone working with the public. WE ARE YOUR PARISH’S SVP.If you want to help alleviate poverty within the parish: a) join us – you will be fully trained and never work with anyone on your own. b) make a financial donation - via SVP members, Fr Matthew c) tell us about anyone who needs our help. Contact us via: presidentG050512@svp.org.uk.
We have finished our formal Christmas food collection for the Abergavenny Foodbank. Any further donations can be placed with the usual collection items. We thank you for your contributions!

Struggling after Abortion, you are not alone, give ius a call- ARCH, Abortion Recovery Care and Helpline.
0345 603 8501.
info@archtrust.org.uk

There have been considerable developments in the project of restoring this historic building in lower Cross St. However firstly just a brief resume on the importance of the building for those who may be new to the parish.
PLAS GUNTER is a mid 17th century house which has had many different uses in its life. Built initially as home and business premises for Thomas Gunter, a lawyer – and a Catholic - in difficult times for members of the Faith. Mass was celebrated here in a secret chapel in the attic of the building at a time when Catholic worship was illegal and priests in particular subject to the death penalty.
One. such priest was our own martyr St David Lewis, a victim of a fabricated plot, the POPISH PLOT in the late 1670s. He celebrated Mass in that chapel. The house is therefore a very important part of our Catholic heritage, and indeed of Abergavenny’s historical heritage.
The building was acquired by the Welsh Georgian trust, and is now the Plas Gunter trust. It was not in a good state so, since its acquisition with the work of volunteers and support from a variety of sources the restoration project has now got the point where the Trust has the very real probability of a £3.1 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage fund.
That will hopefully follow the £220,000 Development grant recently awarded . This has to be used by April 2025 and will involve such actions a
• detailed restoration plan
• develop events and activities
• plan and organise fund raising to meet £660,000 match funding requirement for the larger grant
• appointment s such as an architect to head up the design team
All this being achieved, the final application for the major grant will go in in December 2025 .

SO - Where can we in OLSM help?
1/ Please visit if you haven’t already done so. Although only contained in one room it is very informative on the house itself, the Gunter family, the Catholic aspect and the place of the house in the community. We are open from 10.30 to 4pm on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays
2/ The openings are run by volunteers with 2 ‘shifts’ 10.30 – 1pm and 1pm to 4pm and a shift would be once a month. At present there are 4 of us from the parish on the team. There is a need for more volunteers and it would be great if we had a few more from the parish, seeing the importance of the building to us as Catholics. If you think you could do this have a word with us.
3/ Take up membership of the Trust - £10 pa – and be kept up to date on events, developments etc
4/ Fund raising activities already in hand
• Charity Auction May 1st at Kings Arms. Poster at back of
• One of our volunteers, Susan Langford-Johnson is very bravely undertaking to walk172 miles from of the Camino pilgrimage route to Compostella between 26th May and 6th June, and seeking sponsorship to raise funds for the project. If you feel you could support this we will be outside church after Mass on the next few Sundays with sponsorship forms.
• Plas Gunter lottery. Watch this space, information to follow. A chance to support and perhaps win!

Thanks to you we are helping to heal trauma
Dear Fr Matthew,

First of all, a heartfelt thank you – for reading these emails, donating, sharing our call for help, and for your prayers – everyone at FHL is deeply grateful for your unwavering support during this terrible and tumultuous time in the Holy Land.



We are still on the ground in Gaza and the West Bank, and we are getting emergency aid to the Christian community wherever we can – all of this is made possible through your donations to the Hope & Healing Fund - again, thank you.