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On his his final appointment in Uruguay yesterday, Pope Leo XIV presided over Mass in the Cathedral Basilica in the City of Florida, part of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Thirty-Three. In his homily, he expressed his joy at being "a pilgrim" at the shrine where, he said, he is able to "share in the faith and the tenderness with which the Uruguayan people have looked at the Mother of God ... Read More

Catholic charity Stella Maris is celebrating the cooking skills, resourcefulness and food traditions of seafarers and fishers through a new cookbook, with all profits from the sale of the book supporting those who work at sea and their families. The Seafarers' Cookbook brings together recipes and personal stories from around the world, offering readers a taste of life at sea and the dishes that co... Read More

Gospel of 9 November 2026 John 2:13-22 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the Temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the Temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he tol... Read More

Rev Richard Sewell, Dean of St George's College, Jerusalem writes: 'The first heavy rain of winter has hit the Holy Land and Gaza is under water. For the third year millions of people in the Gaza Strip are living in tents or in dangerous housing. Just a few short miles away, people live in absolute comfort and safety with all their needs met. There are natural disasters and there's planned destit... Read More

Pope Leo XIV has expressed his profound sadness for the lives lost and those injured in a shooting that took place in the main square of Krakow, Poland, yesterday. The Pope sent a telegram of condolences signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin on the Pope's behalf to the Archbishop of Krakow, Cardinal Grzegorz Rys. On November 7, a gunman opened fire on people in Krakow's historic mai... Read More

Pope Leo's first full day in Uruguay began with Mass in a rainy Parque París Londres in Paysandú, a river city facing Argentina. Around 40,000 people attended. Many had crossed the border to get there. In his homily Pope Leo pointed to the General Artigas International Bridge over the Uruguay River and told the crowd: "That is why it is so important to be builders of bridges!" Then he reflected... Read More

Fr Luis Montes, of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, arrived on Wednesday, November 4th, 2026, at the Holy Family Parish in Gaza, to serve as a vicar priest, joining the parish's clergy in their pastoral mission. His arrival brings the number of priests serving the Parish to three. Fr Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest, expressed his joy at welcoming the new priest, announcing that the official r... Read More

The Martyrs of the New Millenium: the global persecution of Christians in the Twenty First Century. Robert Royal, Sophia Institute Press. If you thought Christian martyrdom belongs only to history, think again. In the 20th century we saw vicious persecution of Christians in Nazi Germany, in the Soviet Union, and in Mao's China. What about the 21st? In Nigeria Christian farms and villages have bee... Read More

The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) has given its prestigious John Betjeman award to an historic Catholic Church in the Diocese of Plymouth. The award, that celebrates excellence in the repair of places of worship of all denominations in England and Wales, was conferred on Our Lady and St Mary Magdalene in Tavistock, a Grade II listed parish church in Tavistock, Devon. Th... Read More

Gospel of 8 November 2026 Matthew 25:1-13 At that time: Jesus told his disciples this parable, 'The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all... Read More

After his arrival Montevideo and the official welcomes yesterday, Pope Leo led Vespers in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Saints Philip and James, with Bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and seminarians. "Faithfulness to our vocation calls us to return again and again to Jesus Christ; to let Him be our treasure, the one whom we wish to resemble, " he told them. Po... Read More

In traditional greetings for the Hindu feast of Deepavali, the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue reflects on how Hindus and Christians can forge "pathways of peace together in 'the spirit of Assisi'." "May God, the fount of all that is good, bless you, your families, loved ones, and communities with abundant joy, peace, and prosperity," reads a message from the Dicastery for Interreligious Dia... Read More

Tomorrow, 8 November, we will celebrate Diwali, which comes from the Sanskrit 'Deepavali,' meaning 'row of lights'. This festival is celebrated across Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and among some Buddhist communities. Diwali symbolises the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. As a Catholic, I grew up respecting other religions. My father, Balgobin Ramdeen, wa... Read More

Acting Wing Commander Robin John McNair DFC and Bar (1918-1996) was posthumously awarded the Order of Aeronautical Merit by the Government and Air Force of the Republic of Brazil at a ceremony in London on 23 October. Wing Commander McNair was of Brazilian origin but flew with the RAF on almost 500 missions during the Second World War, including the Battle of Britain. He was a renowned pilot, le... Read More