Rome 2016

Rome 2016

Students from St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy and St. Aidan’s Catholic Academy meet Pope Francis at the Vatican.

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Lilly Thompson (St. Anthony’s) and Harry Ellis (St. Aidan’s) meet Pope Francis and present the Children’s Codex.

A delegation of young people from across schools in Sunderland and South Tyneside, representing 140 schools, joined with Bishop Seamus Cunningham (Bishop of Hexham & Newcastle) and Fr. Marc Lyden-Smith (Parish Priest of St. Mary’s Sunderland) in presenting the “Children’s Codex” to Pope Francis at the end of his general audience at the Vatican in Rome. This was a historic moment of commemoration and the celebration of the Word of God.

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Bishop Seamus Cunningham talks to Pope Francis about the project.

Bishop Seamus Cunningham (Roman Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle), Lilly Thompson (St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy) and Harry Ellis (St. Aidan’s Catholic Academy) met with Pope Francis and spoke to him personally, about the project. The rest of the delegation from the North East were seated really close by and had a “once and a lifetime” opportunity to be so close to our Pope.  Pope Francis who chatted to the Bishop, and to the students, and waved to our delegation,  who were seated really close by.  Pope Francis asked Lilly and Harry to remember to pray for him.  We also had our religious items blessed by the Pope during the audience.

We had an amazing time in Rome visiting St. Peter’s and the Vatican. We prayed at the tombs of St. Peter, St. John XXIII and St. John Paul II.  During the rst of the time and in the evenings we visited a number of famous sites such as Castel Gandolfo, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps.

Pupils and staff from St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy, St. Aidan’s Catholic Academy, St. Mary’s R.C. Primary, St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy and St. Wilfrid’s R.C. College travelled to Rome with Bishop Seamus and Fr. Lyden-Smith

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From left to right: The party from the North East visit the Vatican

  • Denika Jayan (St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy)
  • Ashlin Roy (St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy)
  • Eyitemi Pemu (St. Mary’s RC Primary)
  • Monica Jackson (Asst. Head Teacher St. Mary’s RC Primary)
  • Elliot Noble (St. Mary’s RC Primary)
  • Lilly Thompson (St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy)
  • Joseph Martin (St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy Hebburn)
  • Leah Tubman (St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy)
  • Bishop Seamus Cunningham (R.C. Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle)
  • Lucie Stephenson (Head Teacher St. Mary’s RC Primary)
  • Daniel Atkinson (St. Wilfrid’s R.C. College)
  • Graham Nicol (Sunderland Minster)
  • Harry Ellis (St. Aidan’s Catholic Academy)
  • Katrina O’ Neil (St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy)
  • Monica Shepherd (Head Teacher St. Anthony’s Catholic Academy)
  • M. Lyden-Smith (Parish Priest St. Mary’s and St. Cecilia’s)
  • A. Wicker (Subject Leader R.E. St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy)

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From left to right: St. Anthony’s staff and pupils with the Children’s Codex

  • Angelo Wicker (Subject Leader R.E. St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy)
  • Katrina O’ Neil (St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy)
  • Ashlin Roy (St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy)
  • Leah Tubman (St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy)
  • Denika Jayan (St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy)
  • Lilly Thompson (St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy)
  • Monica Shepherd (Head Teacher St. Anthony’s Catholic Academy)

Mr Graham Nicol of Sunderland Minster explained that the idea behind the “Children’s Codex” was to retrace the steps of the original Codex which was transcribed and illuminated at Wearmouth-Jarrow monastery and left St Peter’s Church in Sunderland for Rome in AD 716 as a gift from Abbot Ceolfrith to Pope Gregory II. The Codex Amiatinus was produced 1.300 years ago and is the oldest surviving Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible in the world.

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Bishop Seamus with Harry Ellis (St. Aidan’s Catholic Academy)

This was an interdenominational project which the pupils of every school in Sunderland and Jarrow were invited to follow in the monk’s footsteps and contribute text and drawings based on biblical themes and characters. The leather bound “Children’s Codex” taken to Rome represents the young people of Sunderland and Jarrow as the church today who also share in the deep cultural and historical heritage of the monastic past.

The delegation of young people and staff travelled with much excitement to Rome and joined thousands of other people from around the world at the general Papal audience on Wednesday 26th October 2016. The group were extremely fortunate to be seated right next to the Holy Father throughout the audience.

Bishop Seamus explained the Children’s Codex to Pope Francis who was very interested and impressed with the work of the young people. Two students were selected to present the Children’s Codex to the Holy Father , Harry Ellis ( age 12) St. Aidan’s and Lilly Thomson (15 ) St Anthony’s.

Lilly Thompson of St. Anthony’s Catholic Girls’ Academy in Sunderland said,

“I feel very special and know that even some world leaders haven’t met the Pope yet. The whole visit has made me realise how important my faith is to me.”

The visit leaves the work of the young people on display at the Vatican commemorating the work left by the monk s of Wearmouth-Jarrow all those hundreds of years previously. The impact of this visit for those among the delegation is one which will stay with them as a significant moment where they proudly represented their areas and the work of all the young people in the presence of the Pope.

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Thank you to everyone from the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle who made this visit to meet Pope Francis so remarkable and special.

Mr. A. Wicker

(Subject Leader Religious Education St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy)

Mrs. M. Shepherd

(Head Teacher St. Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy)