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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

Canada Needs Our Lady will be holding Rosary Rallies across the country this Saturday, 10 October 2026. This special campaign, which originated in Saint Hubert, Quebec, has been inspired by the Tradition, Family Property (TFP) movement of Brazilian Catholic activist Plinio Correa de Oliveira. According to Joseph Gensens, Fatima Custodian for Canada Needs Our Lady: "The reaction from Canadians has ... Read More

An Orthodox priest narrowly escaped being shot after armed men opened fire during an outbreak of violence in a Christian village in western Syria. Violence broke out on the night of 3rd October following an altercation between young people from the Christian village of Al-Suqaylabiyah and the neighbouring Muslim village of Al-Qalaa (also known as Qalaat Al-Madiq) . Local sources told Aid to the Ch... Read More

Gospel of 8 October 2026 Luke 11:5-13 At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, 'Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, "Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey and I have nothing to set before him"; and he will answer from within, "Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and ... Read More

On 7 October 2026, in New York, Archbishop Christophe Z El Kassis, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, delivered a statement at the Third Committee of the 81st session of the General Assembly, under Agenda Item 70: 'Promotion and protection of human rights.' The Holy See reaffirmed its position that the death penalty is inadmissible because it attacks the inviolability and di... Read More

The Church's first mission in the contemporary world "is to help people be attentive to the profound questions of life: those of our origin and destiny, as well as those concerning the meaning of love and suffering," Pope Leo XIV said in his catechesis during the weekly General Audience. Continuing his reflection on the Second Vatican Council's Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, the Pope contr... Read More

Britain seems constrained to join other European States in re-armament. Putin's fantasy of Ukraine's return to the Russian Federation and a restoration of the former Soviet territory, Xi Jinping's determination to absorb Taiwan by all means available, seem utterly intractable, a grave injustice if accomplished. Military deterrence is an understandable response. At one level, this 'confrontational ... Read More

The Volunteer Missionary Movement (VMM) trained, placed and supported well over 2500 volunteer lay missionaries to work in Africa, Central and South America and Southeast Asia in a variety of roles in education, health and social services, diocesan and community development, including a number of people from the Diocese of Hallam. A recently published short history of VMM written by Martin Desforg... Read More

Pax Christi on Merseyside and Health Workers for Palestine organised a vigil for the Palestinian paediatrician Dr Abu Safiya outside BBC Radio Merseyside in Liverpool on 24 September. Dr Safiya has now been held in an Israeli detention facility since the end of 2024 without charge. His son Elias has reported on the deteriorating health of his father who has been subject to routine beatings, sleep ... Read More

Pope Leo XIV has recorded a special video message for the celebration of World Mission Sunday on Sunday 18 October. Missio, the Holy Father's charity for world mission and tasked with coordinating World Mission Sunday, is appealing for prayers and donations to support missionaries who serve communities in need, often in some of the poorest and most challenging places on earth. This year's theme, c... Read More

The Catholic Parliamentary Office welcomes the decision of the Scottish National Party to remove from its conference agenda a proposed motion that would have sought to decriminalise self-administered abortion and significantly weaken legal protections for unborn children. Last month, in response to reports of the motion, the Catholic Parliamentary Office expressed its concern that SNP members coul... Read More

Gospel of 7 October 2026 Luke 1:26-38 At that time: The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, 'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!' But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this ... Read More

Forty years ago, on October 27, 1986, Pope St John Paul II took part in the historic World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi, central Italy. For the first time in history, representatives of all world religions were invited by the Pope to pray together for peace. Among those inspired by that meeting was the Community of Sant'Egidio, a Catholic lay organisation, which since then has continued to pr... Read More