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This weekend, 10/11 October, parishioners at Our Lady of the Rosary in Staines, were invited to bring their pets to Mass for a special blessing. This is an annual tradition close to the Feast of St Francis of Assisi. This year there were many dogs and cats as well as several smaller pets: rabbits, guinea pigs and a tortoise. Parish Priest Fr Philip Dyer-Perry said: "We recognise that for many, pet... Read More

Religious and Associates of JPIC (Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation) Links met on zoom and in person at the FCJ centre for Spirituality and Eco-justice in London on Saturday 10 October to hear about problems associated with the global mining industry and the ways in which Catholic communities and organisations are responding to them. Mining was chosen as the subject of the gathering because... Read More

Marking World Sight Day, the Santa Marta Pediatric Dispensary offered eye screenings and free prescription glasses to around 50 children in need last week. Observed every second Thursday of October, World Sight Day is a global initiative that aims to spread awareness about preventable blindness and visual impairment. This year's theme is 'Love Your Eyes', and it's a reminder to put eye health at ... Read More

Pope Leo XIV told pilgrims gathered for the Angelus today that his doctors have found a "localised nodule" in his lung and he will be operated on in a few days. The operation will take place at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital in Rome. He added that the nodule was "detected at a very early stage and is well localized." The Pope said his doctors recommend surgery and he will follow their ad... Read More

Gospel of 11 October 2026 Matthew 22:1-10 At that time: Jesus again spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people, in parables, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, "Tell those who are invited, ... Read More

Archbishop John Wilson, the Archbishop of Southwark, led thousands of Catholics through the streets of London today, in the Eucharistic Procession from St George's Cathedral to Westminster Cathedral, carrying Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Joining Pope Leo in sending pilgrims out to walk with Christ, Archbishop John told them at the Mass in St George's Cathedral before the procession: "We ... Read More

The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, sent a message to Archbishop Richard Moth, President of the Bishops' Conference, greeting the Bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful who took part in the Adoremus National Eucharistic Congress today, Saturday, 10 October. Pope Leo drew particular reference to the Eucharistic Procession that saw Christ take to London's streets in the Blessed Sacrament traveling ... Read More

The Pope has appointed an auxiliary bishop in Birmingham to be the new Bishop of Brentwood. Rt Rev Timothy Menezes, 56, succeeds Bishop Alan Williams who has retired at the age of 75 after 12 years in the role. Describing his appointment as a "great privilege", Bishop Timothy said he "had much to learn", and asked "the Lay Faithful, the Clergy and the Religious of the diocese to pray for me, an... Read More

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time On first hearing or reading through it the gospel this Sunday is simply quite awful. It's a dreadful tale of forced hospitality, murder and naked brutality. We can pick up the dreadful sequence of the tale, firstly those invited to the wedding feast of the King's Son are summoned, and not untypically for a down trodden people resist this summons : 'He ( the Ki... Read More

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