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Gospel of 10 October 2026 Luke 11:27-28 At that time: As Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, 'Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!' But he said, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!' Reflection on the painting Today's Gospel is remarkably short, yet remarkably powerful. Within it two women come int... Read More

The President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Paul S Coakley, has expressed "shock and great sorrow" over the decision to publicly livestream the execution of Nidal Hassan, the former Army major sentenced to death for the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting. "Our God is the God of life," said the Archbishop of Oklahoma City in a statement. "In no way can Hassan's actions b... Read More

Today, 10 October, is World Day Against the Death Penalty. The World Coalition against the Death Penalty (WCADP) dedicates this day in 2026 and 2027 to "humanizing the people affected by the Death Penalty, focusing on the stories of the human beings affected by the death penalty whose voices are too often neglected or silenced... "This campaign highlights the necessity of taking into account the s... Read More

Rabbis For Human Rights offered the following reflection today: This week marks three years filled with bloodshed, death, and destruction. The blood of our slaughtered Israeli brothers and sisters still cries out from the ground. Over 1,200 killed, hundreds more kidnapped. The response: more bloodshed. Vengeful, brutal bloodshed. Over 74,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, thousands more in the West... Read More

At HMP Featherstone earlier this year, a retreat invited prisoners to reflect on broken pottery as an image of lives marked by difficulty but capable of restoration. One participant wrote afterwards: "On the first day, you showed us the broken pots and helped us realise that even though we are all 'cracked pots', with the love of God and a little faith, we can all be repaired." This Prisoners' Sun... Read More

Cardinal Blaise Cupich delivered the following homily during the opening Mass at 'City of Welcome: A Teach-In on Catholic Solidarity and the Journey of Migration' at Old St Patrick's Church. If you walk through the streets of Chicago, you hear the story of the entire world. You sense it in the rhythm of the L train, in the scents drifting from neighbourhood bakeries and in the languages spoken on ... Read More

A priest in Northern Ireland pleaded guilty at Londonderry Crown Court on Monday, to 109 sexual offences relating to the online abuse of boys. Edward Gallagher, 59, from Lifford in County Donegal, admitted the offences which took place between June 2023 and April 2025. They included 43 attempts to sexually communicate with boys, 13 charges of possessing indecent images of children and 43 of attem... Read More

Anthony Horan, Director, Catholic Parliamentary Office of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland writes: The Catholic Parliamentary Office shares the determination to protect every person from violence, coercion, and abuse and strongly believes that such conduct should be addressed effectively under the law, and those who have suffered harm should receive compassionate and appropriate support. At t... Read More

Gospel of 9 October 2026 Matthew 13:47-52 At that time: Jesus said to the crowd, 'The kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw ... Read More

Pope Leo XIV presided over a special Mass this evening in St Peter's Basilica for the opening of the Pontifical Universities' new academic year, attended by around 5,000 students and professors. In his homily, the Holy Father stressed that the beginning of a new year is about far more than simply returning to lectures and research. Study, he said, must become service, sustained by the Holy Spirit ... Read More

In this beautiful video, Father Patrick van der Vorst from Christian Art, travels to Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire to explore one of Britain's most beautiful monastic ruins and discover the extraordinary story of the Cistercian monks who made this remote valley their home. Through its soaring architecture, the writings of St Aelred and the living witness of monasticism today, he asks why, al... Read More

Christians For Palestine state: 'The events of the last three years in Palestine have been horrific for everyone. The people of Palestine both in Gaza and the West Bank are still living under daily terror. We continue to feel a deep sorrow and have a strong desire to speak out in favour of a just and lasting peace. UK government policy is evolving and it is as important as ever to make your suppor... Read More

Over 100 works by the troubled genius Richard Dadd are presented in this absorbing exhibition. He spent over 20 years in Bethlem, ending his days in Broadmoor in 1886. His most celebrated fantasy works crammed full of fairies verging on the macabre were painted in the asylum. He also painted portraits and vivid scenes inspired by his travels. Dadd was born in Chatham in 1817. The family moved to L... Read More

Donegal-born Sr Mary T Barron is to become the first woman to lead the Pontifical Mission Societies, bringing the experience of a lifetime spent in missionary service to one of the most senior roles in the Vatican's missionary network. A woman from rural Donegal is set to take up one of the most prominent missionary positions in the Catholic Church, in an appointment that brings together the tradi... Read More