Latest News

The Monastery of Our Lady and St Bernard, founded in 2006, is the home of a community of Bernardine Cistercian Nuns. We follow the Rule of St Benedict and are part of the Cistercian family. Situated in the hills of the south Cotswolds, in a designated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Cotswold valleys and hills enhances the peace of the monastery which is conducive to our life of prayer. Th... Read More

Bishop John Keenan has issued a pastoral letter urging Catholics across Scotland to contact their MPs ahead of the return of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill to the House of Commons on Friday 11 September. The Bill, reintroduced by Lauren Edwards MP, would permit eligible terminally ill adults in England and Wales to receive assistance to end their lives. A similar Bill was defeated in... Read More

Gospel of 21 August 2026 John 21:15-17 When Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?' He said to him, 'Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.' He said to him, 'Feed my lambs.' He said to him a second time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' He said to him, 'Yes, Lord; you know that ... Read More

In his Message for the 11th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, published by the Holy See on Thursday, Pope Leo warns that war has consequences that destroy far beyond the battlefield and says that we are to imitate the Lord's offering of peace to work toward peace in the world. "In place of the weapons of war, the God of peace grants us the strength to heal, to reconcile and to build a ... Read More

Bishop James Curry, an Auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of Westminster, has spoken about the reintroduction of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that will have its Second Reading and vote in the House of Commons on Friday, 11 September. "The hospice movement, which the Catholic Church has always supported, ensures that if someone is in pain or is suffering, they are cared for while they... Read More

The Archdiocese of Cardiff-Menevia has announced that Archbishop Mark O'Toole has been re-appointed by Pope Leo XIV for a further five-year term as a member of the International Council for Catechesis (Co.In.Cat.), a body within the Dicastery for Evangelisation. The appointment was confirmed in a letter from the Dicastery, following the Holy Father's approval, and recognises Archbishop Mark O'Too... Read More

Laudato Si 'animator John Woodhouse has sent these short parish newsletter items for the Season of Creation (September 1 to October 4 2026) The banner is by Laudato Si' animator Martin Jarvis. The season of Creation begins on Sept 1 the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. The theme of the season is "Living water". We learn of a river growing deeper and restoring barren land with reviving... Read More

Aisha and the CAFOD Campaigns Team write: Following the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Leo once again called for an end "to the repeated acts of violence against the Palestinian population of the West Bank." One of the greatest obstacles to building peace is the ongoing expansion of illegal settlements across occupied Palestinian territory. As settlements expand, Palestinian families are driven from thei... Read More

I mourn my dear friend and former colleague, the anti-racism and peace activist Maz (Masarrat) Saleem, who passed away on 19th July 2026 after a long illness. She was born on 4th May 1974. Hatred struck when her 82-year-old father, Mohammed Saleem, was murdered by a neo-Nazi in 2013 in Birmingham, while walking home from evening prayers. His attacker subsequently bombed three mosques in the West M... Read More

Gospel of 20 August 2026 John 17:20-26 At that time: Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven, and praying said, 'Holy Father, I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I... Read More

During his General Audience today, Pope Leo XIV reflected on sacred music in the liturgy, praising it for giving voice to prayer and expressing the faith, always with the main objective of glorifying God and helping the faithful grow in holiness. Continuing his series of reflections on the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium. This week, Pope Leo fo... Read More

The Polish Catholic Mission said in a statement today: "We received with deep sorrow the news that on August 17, 2026, at the age of 50 and after 25 years of priesthood, Fr Dariusz Mazur, parish priest of the Parish of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Zawad, passed away. Fr Dariusz served the Polish community in Great Britain for many years, working for many years in the Polish Catholic Mission... Read More

Felixstowe Catholic Church's new deacon, David Croucher, hopes to bring a little bit of rock 'n' roll to his parish by the sea. David, 78, whose stage name is 'Rockin' Rev', will split his time between helping the priest at St Felix's Church and entertaining local people with his electric guitar skills. The retired pharmacist and his wife, Chris, moved to the town in July after five years in Di... Read More

The Korean film 'Nun Dul Dega Eomne' (Nowhere to Lay My Eyes) earned the prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 79th Locarno Film Festival, held 5-15 August. The Ecumenical Jury, appointed by INTERFILM and SIGNIS, awarded the prize, donated by the Evangelical Reformed Church and the Roman Catholic Church in Switzerland, to director Hong Sangsoo (South Korea). The film centres on a daughter's first v... Read More