The works of God usually begin in very small, almost imperceptible ways and it is only in retrospect that their full significance becomes apparent. At the time the 24 students on the now famous Duquesne weekend in 1967 would have been amazed to think that over 40 years later people would remember their retreat as the beginning of the Charismatic Renewal in the Catholic Church in the 20th century. A few months ago, I was present at a meeting where I was witness to one of those unique gospel mustard seeds which I believe the Lord is going to use in an amazing way for the good of the Church.

Catholic Travellers’ Renewal

The gathering was held at the Travellers’ Education Centre in Southall in West London. From the outside the place looks more like a garage - a low building with heavily barred windows on a scrap of waste ground. The meeting was already in progress when I arrived. About 30 people were squeezed into one of the rooms, women and old people seated and men, standing in the background. In the corner of the room was a little altar, full of candles, statues, devotional items and flowers and a flamboyant banner proclaiming Catholic Travellers’ Renewal. I was struck by the warmth, fervour and devotion of those present as I was given a seat. The meeting had been called because the Travellers wanted to share with their chaplain, Fr Joe Brown, a laid back bespectacled Irish priest, their dream to build a church for the Traveling People in the UK. Fr Joe, had just suggested that rather than the big £3million white twin towered church they had in mind, it would be more sensible to settle for a small prayer centre or a disused parish somewhere instead. But they were having none of it. They wanted to build something big and beautiful for the glory of God.

I felt privileged to be there, as it had been only some months ago, that Margaret, one of the Travellers, who is a friend of mine had shared her vision that one day the Travellers might have their own church building rather than just a room in the Travellers Education centre. She commented, “We often don’t feel welcome in normal parishes. It’s no one’s fault. We are a different culture. We are used to being outside in the fields and camp sites and we shout a lot and are noisy. When we arrive with our vans this often upsets people. We are not used to silence and offend people by talking too loud in the church when they feel we should be quiet. If we had our own place, we could be free to be ourselves without upsetting others.”

Impossible dream?

It seemed like an impossible dream when she mentioned it and asked Myles Dempsey to pray over her for it. But God was obviously working in his own way to lay the foundations to bring this about. For any project or dream, there is usually someone whom God calls to carry the vision and inspire others. Margaret is that person. In many ways she is a typical Traveller. She married at 19 and has six children and six grandchildren. She can read and write but hasn’t had a lot of formal education, and although she and her husband, Paddy, do have a house, she really prefers to be free and on the road. She used to spend her time going to the various Travellers’ fairs round the country, but now she spends her life ministering and preaching the Gospel to her people. Before her conversion to Christ, she says she was a bit wild with little time for God. But ten years ago, at Medjugorje, the Lord touched her in a profound way, when she wasn’t even really looking for him, and changed her life radically.

She’s now a daily Mass goer with a deep love for Christ, and runs a weekly rosary group at the Travellers’ Education Centre, to which Travellers come from all over the country to attend. She comments, “I felt like I wanted to give the Lord something back and to work for him. It started in a small way. I taught myself to play the guitar, as I love music and other travellers started inviting me to their houses to lead the rosary and to pray for them.” A woman of deep prayer and mystical experiences, several years ago she had a vivid dream that the Lord was calling her to set up a tent with Eucharistic adoration at the Appleby Horse Fair in Cumbria, to which 30,000 Gypsies, Romanies and Travellers come every year, as a witness to his presence among his people. The first couple of years it was just herself and a friend leading the outreach, backed by Charlie Connor from Youth2000 and the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, but this last year, a much bigger team of Travellers gave their services, due to the growth of the Charismatic Renewal among them over the last nine months or so, as well as support from the local parish priest of Appleby Fr Aleks.

Mini revival amongst Travellers

There is, it seems, a mini revival going on amongst the Travellers in the UK at this time, as many people are being touched and experiencing deep conversion in their faith. The Pantasaph prayer group in Wales, for example, which used to be about 30 people has swollen to 130 because of the all the Travellers now coming. Spiro Sueref from Cardiff says, his prayer group too has doubled because of interest from Travellers and a group has been set up to run events along the M40 corridor. Several of the leaders from these different groups like Craig Fury and Danny Connors have joined Margaret to form the Catholic Travellers Renewal and it is this group that is providing the impetus to build a church. The team has started running days of renewal for Travellers and almost 200 people from all over came to attend the one they ran at St Peter’s Church in Bradford in May. Margaret comments, “we started at 1pm and were still praying with people at 7pm. It was wonderful to see people’s burdens being lifted and people being healed.”

Fr Vincent chatting with some Tavellers

Among the Travellers Community there is great respect for the ordained priesthood and in the past it was not considered appropriate for lay people to teach or minister or pray in any way apart from the rosary. Through attending the New Dawn conference, however, and other charismatic prayer groups and events, and seeing lay people minister these prejudices are coming down.

Margaret herself has discovered that God has given her an anointing in the area of healing. When she prays with her fellow Travellers, moreover, not only do they get healed from physical illnesses and depressions, but they are converted too. She says that she is now being asked to minister and lead prayer meetings three or four times a week in people’s homes. Here she leads people in praise and worship, they pray the rosary together and then she lays hands on people and prays for their healing and conversion to Jesus Christ. Through this she is seeing the most amazing results as people who have been away from the Church for a long time are coming back to the practice of their faith.

One of those who has been touched by her witness and ministry is Danny Connors, who is well respected within the Travellers’ community. As a child, Danny told me he had been very attached to Fr. Elton Daly, who was the Travellers’ chaplain at the time. He remembers, “he told me ‘Danny, you will continue the mission. The time will come very shortly. I won’t see it, but you will. You will pick up where I left off.’ I wished he was right, but I couldn’t see how I could do it, as I was a married man with 5 children and Travellers would laugh at me if I tried to lead them in prayer.”

Something got switched on inside me

He adds, “When I met Margaret and saw what she was doing, praying for people and praising God, I realized she was doing what I had wanted to do all my life and that it was possible for an ordinary person to do this for God.” At the time the family was distraught as his father was dying. The 82 year old Johnny Connors was so bad that the hospital said it wasn’t even worth putting him on a drip as he would be dead within days. But at the family’s request, Margaret came to pray with him, and to everyone’s amazement the following morning, the old man was demanding his proper clothes so he could get up and have something to eat. Danny continues, “It was a miracle. In that moment something got switched on in me. I had never turned my back on the church and was good living. But my wife, Marie and I have two disabled children that need 24 hour a day care. When I was at weddings and parties I would be the life and soul of the party but inside I was crying because of the pain in our lives. But since Marie and I have become involved in Catholic Travellers’ Renewal and praying for people, our lives are different. I have never been so happy in my life.”

He continues “It usually takes years to yet close to others, but with Margaret and her husband, Paddy, Shamus and Bridget, Craig and Agnes, and others in the prayer group, it’s like we have always been together. I have the same love for them that I do for my own brothers and sisters, and it has happened overnight because of the love of God we share together.” His commitment to the group has led him to signing over to them a valuable piece of land he owns to build the church that they all dream of. He commented, “It couldn’t have given me more joy to give that land to Margaret for her vision. Who better could you give it to than for the Almighty God? I thank God that I had it to give.”

Land donated for the church

As soon the news that Danny had donated land for the church became known among the Travellers, Margaret says she was flooded with offers of funds from all over the country to help buy the materials or send people to help build the church. The project has also received the support of the local bishop, Bishop Crispin Hollis, and the local parish priest where the land is, and the team are now in the process of setting up a proper Trust Fund to administer the funds. Danny insists, “I want there to be proper invoices, and records to do it properly, so that if I am driving around with a smart car in a few years time, there won’t be any talk about where the money came from!.” A channel 4 documentary maker, was so touched when he heard about the project that he has asked to film the whole story. As I left that insignificant building in Southall, that March afternoon, I felt a special grace was about to be unleashed. The building of this new church, was not just about somewhere for the Travellers to meet, but a sign of hope for the whole Church in this country. Here was a small band of people, who are often rejected by society, yet God had chosen them and called them to build something big and beautiful for him to give glory to His name. Seeing the fervour and enthusiasm of this little band made me think of the outpouring of faith that had led to the building of the cathedrals in the Middle Ages during an era of faith. It was recorded by chroniclers at the time that:

“In the year 1144 they say, when the towers seemed to be rising as if by magic, the faithful harnessed themselves to the carts which were bringing stone, and dragged them from the quarry to the cathedral. The enthusiasm spread throughout France. Men and women came from far away carrying heavy burdens of provisions for the workmen – wine, oil, corn. Amongst them were lords and ladies, pulling carts with the rest. There was perfect discipline, and a most profound silence. All hearts were united and each man forgave his enemies.”

How like God at this time of difficulty for the Church, when its reputation is in tatters because of the various scandals and when many church-goers are too busy and concerned with their own affairs that he should call a people on the margins, to a marvellous work of faith to give encouragement to us all and for the honour and glory to his name.

Please pray for Margaret and all the team that the Lord will guide them and help them for the time ahead. And if you would like to contribute in any way , please write to Goodnews Allen Hall, 28 Beaufort Street, London SW3 5AA and we will give you details.