Glimpses of Ministry - North Cheam & Holy Island

On London Road in North Cheam you will find St Anthony's Hospital (www.stanthonys.org.uk/) and St Raphael's Hospice (www.straphaelshospice.org.uk/). Apart from the direct involvement in the work of St Anthony’s Hospital and St Raphael’s Hospice, the Sisters fulfil their apostolic commitment to service in a number of ways:

Sister Mary Damian (above 2nd left) is actively involved in the Governing Body of St Philomena’s High School. Besides being a member of the Advisory Board of the Hospital and the Hospice, she is also a member of the Advisory Board of Holy Cross Hospital, Haslemere. Here she is pictured at the launch of the fund-raising appeal for St Raphael's Hospice.	Sister Caroline Campbell is very actively involved with the setting up of the Cheam group of Associates. A thriving group of some 15 members. She visits the sick in the community, is involved in local Medical Ethics discussion groups and is a voluntary helper at St Cecilia's RC Primary School, North Cheam. Read Sr Caroline's story of her vocation. She is pictured below.
Sr Lina Sr Lina D'Cruz, besides serving as Pastoral Care Sister in St Raphael’s Hospice, is Chaplain to a local group of married couples belonging to an International organisation known as The Teams of Our Lady. She is also a member of the service team of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement	Sr Lucy Sr Lucy is a volunteer support worker with the St Raphael’s Hospice bereavement service. She is also involved in pastoral work in the parish.
Sr Mary Teresa working in the League of Friends´ shop at St Anthony's Sr Mary Teresa serves in the League of Friends hospital shop; she also composes and produces the "Archangel Leaflets" on various Christian and spiritual themes which are placed in the hospital and hospice chapels. In the Parish, she gives religious instruction to children and also has a special interest in prisoners and supports them with prayer. Several Sisters take Holy Communion to patients in both the Hospice and the Hospital.

Holy Island (Lindisfarne)

In the year 2003 Sr Tessa Fisk became the first religious Sister to live on Holy Island. In that same year, Brother Damian, an Anglican Franciscan became the vicar of Holy Island and the first monk on the island since the reformation.

In May 2004 Bishop Kevin Dunne was appointed as Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle. His first intention was to re-establish the Catholic Church on Holy Island.  He wanted a simple prayerful Church where Catholics could feel at home and Mass could be said. He then asked Sr Veronica if Sr Tessa could be contracted to him to be pastoral assistant to Father Tony, which would mean that Sr Tessa would look after the church, raise the Catholic profile on the island, welcome pilgrims to the church and Holy Island, be readily available and provide pastoral care for the people living on the island. Sr Veronica purchased St Aidan’s cottage, the first ever house on the island for religious women.

In 2005, Fr Tony was appointed as parish priest of Holy Island
In March 2008, sadly Bishop Kevin died and in March 2009, Father Seamus Cunningham was installed as the new Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle.

In October 2008, Sr Arlinda, Mother General, and her Assistant, Sr Kathleen O’Reilly made a 3 day visit to Holy Island.
What Bishop Kevin had asked for, he saw happening in his short time in office.  The Church on Holy Island is his most powerful legacy, without him it would never have happened and Sr Tessa feels so privileged to be a part of it.