ASSEMBLY

For the closing session of our Southport Series, for which we have reflected on the events of July 2024 when three young girls were murdered, Mr Daughton gave a speech on the lessons for our community. Here is Mr Daughton’s speech in full:

“Today is International Day for the Right to Truth.

This is El Salvador…a beautiful coastal country in Central America.
This is Oscar Romero, who in 1977 became the Archbishop of San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. Being Archbishop made him the top priest in all of El Salvador. He held his Sunday service in this magnificent Cathedral.

45 years ago today, precisely on 24th March 1980. He was holding a service in a small chapel in a cancer hospital. As he finished his sermon, a car pulled up at the door and a man got out, stepped into the chapel and shot Oscar Romero twice through the heart. And the most important churchman in the country died there on the floor of the chapel. Murdered by a gunman they never found and no one was prosecuted.

Why did this happen?

Well El Salvador was a country with an extraordinary division between rich and poor and the rich used their money to control the army and the country, defrauding elections and rounding up and killing anyone who remotely tried to help the poor organise themselves and work together to improve their lot, because it undermined their society and threatened revolution.

When Oscar Romero was made Archbishop, he was considered a safe choice. Not someone who would rock the boat and he generally saw the church’s job as one to keep out of the fighting and to comfort people with the word of God. But when one of his best friends was assassinated for working to help set up self-reliance groups among the poor communities, Romero felt he could no longer stand on the side-lines.

He urged the Government to investigate and when they did nothing, he closed every church in El Salvador so that only the main Cathedral would be open and only his sermon would be heard and preached a fierce one criticising the government and their treatment of the poor. He began broadcasting his sermons weekly on the radio until it was bombed off the airwaves, but he had a huge following amongst the poor of El Salvador by now.

He went to Rome to ask the Pope to condemn the government and their use of death squads to round up critics. He chose to live with the poor and help them and highlight the brutality they lived under. All this brought him a nomination for the Nobel Peace prize, but he was never to collect it.

International Day for the Right to Truth was established by the United Nations to honour Oscar Romero and focus our minds on the systematic violations of human rights that continue to occur in our world.

In a simpler sense it is about action, choices and the world we want to live in.

In recent weeks we have heard different perspectives on the murder of three young girls at a dance class in Southport last summer. Miss McGreavy spoke about community and how the Southport Community is much like any other… much like here.

Miss Neale and Miss Garrod talked about social media and how people were swept away by vicious rumours aimed at minority groups. They urged you to think for yourself.

These days it may seem like you instantly have to take sides in everything…you don’t.

And Mr Miller spoke to you about this and truth and justice. And how to find it.

Now that the Southport killer has been jailed, we have heard more about the people involved on that day…There is the 13 years old girl who was volunteering at the dance studio, who put herself in danger and was seriously wounded leading younger children out to safety, or Joel Verite who was helping his friend window washing and ran into the studio three times to rescue girls, coming face-to-face with the killer.

When you think about the murder or Oscar Romero or little girls at a dance class, you have to wonder if something couldn’t have been done to stop things getting this bad?

They could. And it starts here…with all of you.

This world you are growing up in will be yours one day and it is well to ask yourself what kind of future you want to live in? The world you want doesn’t just happen.

American author Thornton Wilder, winner of three Pulitzer Prizes, once wrote:

Every good and excellent thing stands moment by moment on the razors edge of danger and must be fought for.

In the case of Oscar Romero or those who ran towards the Southport killer this was absolutely true. Fighting for what was good and excellent put them in mortal danger.

Whilst I hope we are never in such extreme situations, the same axiom holds just as true for us…every good and excellent thing about the world we want to live in is created, by us…by how we behave in our community here and beyond, it is created by standing up for what is right and calling out that which is wrong.

Every generation has to fight for this…but where will you stand, will you be on the side-lines or will you act, say something to make it just and right.

Today on International Day for the right to Truth, you can commit to fighting for all that is good and excellent in life and bit by bit you will make a less dangerous future.”

Following Mr Daughton’s speech, Reverend Kate prayed:

Loving God,
We give thanks for the lives of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice Da Silva Aguiar.

We mourn their passing and pray that in the days, months and years ahead their grieving families will know your peace and comfort.

We give thanks for all that we have learned from the terrible events of last summer and we pray for healing for the people of Southport.
Amen.

ACT OF WORSHIP

For our act of worship, Nayia D-C (9N) and Susie W (8H) read from the Gospel of John, chapter 20 (verses 1-9).

Finding it difficult to send students off for the Easter holiday while still in Lent, Reverend Kate announced that our act of worship this week would celebrate Easter. In her sermon - ‘Hope triumphs at the empty tomb’ - Reverend Kate asked us to think back to a time when we have been shocked by something; perhaps when a friend betrayed us, or we did not get the high grade we were expecting, or we lost our place on a sports team. When faced with this difficulty, Reverend Kate asked us what we felt beyond the shock and what we did. In particular, did we feel confused or panicked and so try to run away from our situation, either physically or emotionally?

Reverend Kate said that shock, confusion, and panic are normal reactions to unexpected and difficult situations and so it is not surprising that the people closest to Jesus felt overwhelmed as they struggled to make sense of what had happened. They had just seen Jesus crucified. Now his body was missing and all that remained were the discarded burial cloths. They had no idea what it meant or what would happen next. Reverend Kate said that when life feels uncertain, it is natural to wonder what is going to happen next and so maybe that is why, when Mary Magdalene and the disciples discovered the empty tomb, they did what many of us might do when consumed by feelings we do not understand — they panicked and ran.

Reverend Kate said that, thankfully, our Gospel reading this morning is only half of the Easter story. Knowing what happens next means we understand something that Mary Magdalene and the disciples did not at this point, which is that while the tomb was empty, hope had triumphed.

Hope had triumphed because Jesus was raised from the dead by God who, in doing so, proved that God’s love is stronger than anything: stronger than shock, confusion and panic; stronger than the wrong things done to us or the wrong things we have done or will do; stronger, even, than death.

This Easter, Reverend Kate invited us to trust in the hope that triumphed at the empty tomb; she said that when life shocks us, when confusion clouds our minds, and when panic tempts us to run to unhealthy thoughts, behaviours or people, we are to remember to stop, look and listen:

Stop – to take a breath and connect with God.
Look – for God at work in the world and in our lives.
Listen – for the voice of God amidst the noise and distractions.
Stop, look and listen for the hope which triumphed at the empty tomb.

Reverend Kate said that the resurrection teaches us that God’s love did not end at the cross. Likewise, our stories do not end with whatever difficulties, pain or uncertainties we have faced, are facing or are going to face. Instead, Easter reminds us that with God, there is always love and there is always hope.

The tomb is empty but love and hope have won.

Reverend Kate prayed:

Loving God
When life feels confusing and uncertain, when fear and doubt cloud our hearts,
Help us to remember the hope of the empty tomb.
When we feel lost or overwhelmed, teach us to stop, look and listen that we may breathe your presence, see your love at work and open our hearts to listen for your voice.
Thank you, God, for the hope of Easter, for the promise that our story with you is eternal and that your love and hope always win.
Amen.

In other news…..

On 20 March, Reverend Kate was delighted to welcome the St Albans and Welwyn Methodist Circuit Staff for a service of Holy Communion in Chapel followed by lunch. The occasion afforded the opportunity to build links between both lay and ordained staff serving in the circuit and to share the joys, challenges and opportunities of ministry.