AFRICAN students provided the music at on open-air Mass with a difference at London's university chaplaincy at Gower Street on Sunday. Fr Sean O'Leary, who this week left for a new mission in South Africa, celebrated Mass on the concrete platform where a new chapel is to be built for the chaplaincy. More than 130 attended the Mass too many to fit into the dining room which is serving as a temporary chapel.
Youth visit
THE POPE is to spend an evening with 1,600 young people from England and Wales at Castelgandolfo on August 23. The youngsters will come from 21 dioceses and plan to tell the Pope how his visit to Britain affected them.
Moderator
DR Philip Morgan, Secretary of the British Council of Churches, has been elected Moderator of the United Reformed Church for 1984 to 1985.
Schools post
BRENTWOOD diocese has appointed Mr Tom Helvin as the executive secretary of its education commission. He takes over on October 1.
Poverty talk
JEAN O'CONNOR from ATD Fourth World gave a talk on "Living with the Poorest" at St James's Church, Piccadilly, on Wednesday. It was one of a series examining Christian commitment to the poor.
Wind for gold
ST THOMAS the Apostle school, Peckham, London, won a gold medal at the Lewisham Festival of Music with a wood wind ensemble repertoire. It also won the challenge cup for most outstanding musical performance.
Claretian head
THE CLARETIAN missionaries have elected Fr Michael Fewell as their new superior. He succeeds Fr Peter Wareing. Fr Fewell is 38 and has been director of Westminster diocese's Centre for Parish Catechetics for six years.
Abortion prayer
PRIESTS have been asked to include a bidding prayer asking forgiveness for the two million abortions performed since 1967 in Britain on Sunda), June 26, the day after the anti-abortion rally in Hyde Park.