Latest News

Gospel of 9 September 2024 Luke 6:6-11 On the sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching him to see if he would cure a man on the sabbath, hoping to find something to use against him. But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man with the withered hand, 'Stand up! Come out into the mi... Read More

St James' Piccadilly, was the gathering place for the Christian Bloc taking part in the 18th national march for Palestine in London on Saturday. Some participants, from churches of different denominations, came from as far away as Hertfordshire, Surrey and Sussex. After prayers together they joined the main march in Regent Street, walking alongside Jewish, Muslim and secular campaign groups. passi... Read More

St Mary's Church, Hampstead, north London, will host 'Finding Margaret: An afternoon with Andrew Pierce and Paddy O'Connell' next Sunday, 15 September from 4-5pm, in-person and online. This will be unique opportunity to hear the courageous and heartrending journey of a son's search for his birth mother. In his new book, Finding Margaret: Solving the Mystery of My Birth Mother, the journalist and b... Read More

This tour, on Saturday 12 October, organised by the Surrey Churches Preservation Trust, starts at St Martin's Church, East Horsley (Grade 2), Ockham Road South, East Horsley, KT24 6RL with coffee at 10.15 and the church tour at 10.30. St Martin's dates back to Norman times and there is an interesting mausoleum in the North East corner of the churchyard built by the Lovelace family. The second chur... Read More

'Walking together builds Unity and Nonviolence' is the theme for the 2024 Catholic Days of Nonviolence which will run between 21 September and 2 October. This is a global initiative of Pax Christi International. On 29 September in Rome, the Catholic Institute for Nonviolence will be launched with speakers including Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Myanmar; Sr Wamũyũ Teresia Wachira, IBVM, Kenya; Car... Read More

To mark this year's Education Sunday on 8 September 2024, Sr Silvana Dallanegra, a member of the Caritas Westminster Development Team and Lead for Catholic Social Teaching, reflects on the impact of CST and the Caritas Ambassadors programme on schools across the diocese. I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed th... Read More

The autumn edition of 'Carmelite News' is now available. It has been written by the Prior Provincial, Brendan Grady, O Carm, for the friends of the Shrine of Saint Jude and the Carmelite Order. In this issue, Brendan reflects on admiring creation and seeing gardens as a sacred space, plus he shares news on recent events at the Shrine including a visit from 'The Sun' newspaper and news from the Pro... Read More

Gospel of 8 September 2024 Mark 7:31-37 Returning from the district of Tyre, Jesus went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, right through the Decapolis region. And they brought him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they asked him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, put his fingers into the man's ears and touched his tongue with spitt... Read More

Pope Francis began his first full day in Papua New Guinea by meeting with the nation's authorities, representatives of civil society, and the diplomatic corps at APEC House in the capital Port Moresby. The Governor General of Papua New Guinea, Sir Bob Bofend Dadae, welcomed the Pope, recalling the history of the Catholic Church in the country and the contribution it has made and continues to make ... Read More

The Grotto at Lourdes was flooded on Friday night and Saturday morning after the entire Hautes-Pyrénées region was hit by heavy rains. The river Gave, that flows through Lourdes, is reported to have risen by ten feet in a short period of time. "Sudden rise in the waters of the Gave de Pau flooded the Grotto and the Sanctuary" the Sanctuary stated today on X (Twitter) A notice on its website tod... Read More

Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time On a very personal note, I wish that the Lord could come to me and say as he did to the deaf man with a speech impediment in our Sunday gospel: "Ephphatha!" Be opened! Why? Because as I grow older I face more openly my innate prejudices and my blind spots and wish that I could have more help to deal with them, but more especially those other areas of my persona... Read More

Gospel of 7 September 2024 Luke 6:1-5 One sabbath Jesus happened to be taking a walk through the cornfields, and his disciples were picking ears of corn, rubbing them in their hands and eating them. Some of the Pharisees said, 'Why are you doing something that is forbidden on the sabbath day?' Jesus answered them, 'So you have not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry - how he ... Read More

Pope Francis has arrived in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. His Indonesia Airlines plane touched down at 19:10 local time on Friday 6 September, beginning the second leg of his 45th Apostolic Journey abroad. He will be spending three days in this large but sparsely inhabited nation of thundering rivers and waterfalls, snow-capped mountains, spouting volcanoes, thick forests and beautiful ocean. Th... Read More

Education Sunday is marked this year on 8 September - just after the new academic year starts. The theme for 2024 is, "He makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak", taken from St Mark's Gospel (7:31-37). Education Sunday is one of the oldest Days of Special Prayer in England and Wales, established 175 years ago in 1848. It provides an opportunity to celebrate and give thanks to all involved in makin... Read More