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Pope Leo XIV reflected on the mystery of the Kingdom of God as a treasure that transforms human life during his Angelus address on Sunday, 26 July, delivered from Castel Gandolfo, where he is taking a summer break. Commenting on the Gospel parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great value (Mt 13:44-52), the Pope said that the Kingdom of God brings a joy so profound that leaving everythi... Read More

On Saturday, 25 July 2026, the Liturgical Institute of Ealing Abbey welcomed scholars, clergy, students, and friends of the Syriac tradition for the Third Annual St Ephrem Lecture in Syriac Studies. The afternoon opened with a welcome from Abbot Dominic Taylor, who reflected on the importance of Eastern Christianity for understanding the origins of the Christian faith. He reminded those present th... Read More

We have just had a memorable weekend of Catholic summer conferences and festivals in England. People are still coming home from: 'One heart, one voice' - the National Network of Pastoral Musicians Conference in Highgate House, Northampton and the National Justice and Peace Network Conference at Swanwick in Derbyshire on the theme: 'Just Talk' . WeBelieve - attended by more than 2,000 people - in t... Read More

Fr Ibrahim Faltas, Head of Schools of the Custody of the Holy Land, has issued an urgent message deploring the situation in the West Bank and issing a warning both to those who fuel the violence and to those "who fail to intervene to stop this endless spiral." Fr Faltas writes: 'Once again, violence is intensifying in the Holy Land - a violence that has never left this land. 'It escalates into fur... Read More

The Requiem Mass for Benet Walter Bano "Ben" - took place at St Thomas of Canterbury's Catholic Church in Deal, Kent on Monday 20 July 2026 - attended by family, friends, local councillors and MPs. The celebrant was Fr Brian Coyle. A reception was held in Deal Town Hall after the funeral. Ben's daughter Sophie Skardon gave the following Eulogy. Dad was born on the 3rd February 1950 to Emmerich and... Read More

St Francis Leprosy Guild is the UK's only Catholic leprosy charity. We have cared for people with leprosy for over 130 years. We operate in eleven countries in Africa, Asia and Brazil where leprosy is endemic. By supporting over 30 leprosy centres and projects, we play our part in caring for those affected by the disease and working towards a leprosy-free world. We believe that a leprosy-free worl... Read More

Gospel of 26 July 2026 Matthew 13:44-52 At that time: Jesus said to the crowd: 'The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 'Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought... Read More

Under Conservative rule, combatting Islamophobia tended to be relegated to the realm of 'whataboutery' and to lack substance. Government's recent commitment to funding protective Mosque security, and the Muslim Trust for its work researching data on anti-Muslim hate crime and its victim support, is welcome. Threats and attacks on Mosques, imams, and 'microaggression' against Muslims in distinctive... Read More

Today, Saturday 25 July, Pope Leo XIV appointed Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis, as Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York. Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis was born in Beirut, Lebanon, on August 24, 1968. He was ordained priest on May 21, 1994 and incardinated in the Archeparchy of Beirut of the Maronites. A graduate Doctor of Civil Law and Doctor of C... Read More

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 109 I find it difficult to visualise the Kingdom of Heaven, but I believe that is a very good thing. Jesus gives us many different images of what it is like in terms of comparison and we hear some of these in our gospel today, but there is no one, solid, definable image except of the completion of all things in a glory we can only glimpse. I thank th... Read More

Gospel of 25 July 2026 Matthew 20:20-28 At that time: The mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to Jesus with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, 'What do you want?' She said to him, 'Say that these two sons of mine are to sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your kingdom.' Jesus answered, 'You do not know what you are asking. Are you ab... Read More

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB) has appealed to Governor Ron DeSantis to stay two executions scheduled for next Tuesday, July 28, 2026. James Duckett is scheduled to be executed at noon for the 1987 murder of eleven-year-old Teresa McAbee. Dominick Occhicone, Jr is scheduled to die at 6pm for the 1986 murder of Martha Artzner. Occhicone also received a life sentence for the murde... Read More

A British Childhood. How Our Children Live Now. Publisher: Picador, Dublin 2026 No teacher needs to read this book - unless they wish to marvel at the extraordinary work that they do, guiding their young charges through the post-Austerity, post-Covid, over-stimulated, over-connected and yet strangely isolated mlieu we have created. The rest of us would benefit enormously from engaging with Frank ... Read More

This year the Feast Day of Saint Anne along with her husband Saint Joachim takes place on July 26, 2026. Saint Anne is the Patron Saint of Canada sharing that distinction with Saint Joseph, who is the primary saint of the country. She's also the Patroness of the Province of Quebec. French Canadian voyageurs and early fur traders held a deep devotion to Saint Anne, frequently praying to her for saf... Read More