In November 2004, a small group from Wakefield visited Rome, to spend a few days with the Sant’Egidio Community. This Community, led by lay people, started in Rome, but now has active groups, Catholic and ecumenical, around the world.

The Sant’Egidio Community has two clear priorities: daily prayer, and work with the poor. In Rome, at 8.30 every evening, some 600 young and not-so-young people gather for half an hour of prayer – a simple liturgy, with a short exposition of the Word of God.

Members of Sant’Egidio are equally committed to giving up time to work actively for people on the fringe of society – feeding homeless people, teaching Italian to asylum seekers, visiting old people’s homes, educating disadvantaged children, and so on. They have also been very effective in praying and working for peace around the world. You can find out more about the Community by clicking the English button on their website www.santegidio.org.

Those of us who went to Rome have a desire to begin something similar here in Wakefield – to start with on a very small scale. So we are committed to meeting every Monday at 8pm at St Michael’s Wakefield, for half an hour of prayer. We are also researching some practical work we might do – probably with some of the young people who gather each evening in Wakefield. That, for the time being, is the focus of our prayer.

We would other people to join us. The commitment is modest – all we ask is that you come and pray alongside us, and help us develop our vision for the future.

If you want to find out more, speak to one of us listed below, or drop an email to our group co-ordinator Daniel Beaumont, or just come along one Monday evening.

People to contact:

Daniel Beaumont (Dewsbury Minster)
Jonathan Greener (Church House)
Diane Lightowler (Gomersal)
Paul Maybury (Holy Trinity, Ossett)
Liz and Perry Morton (St Helen, Sandal)
Bro. Philip Nichols CR (Community of the Resurrection, Mirfield)
Stephen Parker (Dewsbury Minster)
Michael Rawson (Bishop’s Lodge)
Lisa Senior (Brownhill)