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Gospel of 5 May 2026 John 14:27-31a At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, 'Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, "I am going away, and I will come to you." If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater ... Read More

The 20th annual Mass for Migrants and celebration for the Feast of St Joseph the Worker took place at St Antony of Padua's Catholic Church in Forest Gate, East London on Monday. The vibrant celebration, prepared by the Caritas teams and ethnic chaplaincies of the Dioceses of Brentwood, Southwark, and Westminster, began at midday with a procession of colourful placards and banners. Many participant... Read More

The Cambodian Catholic community celebrated the consecration of a new church in the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh: the Church of St Joseph the Worker, consecrated and opened for worship on 2 May during a solemn Mass presided over by Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, with the participation of numerous priests, religious, and faithful. With these words, the Vicar ex... Read More

Bishop Kevin Doran gave this homily during Mass at Newman University Church, Archdiocese of Dublin, ahead of the 'March for Life' organised by the Pro Life Campaign. When Jesus told the Roman Governor of Judea that he had come to bear witness to the truth, Pilate's response was: "Truth, what is that?" The heart of the truth that Jesus preached was the mystery of God's love for humanity. This is... Read More

Dear ICN, I recently visited English Martyrs Church in Goring by Sea, Worthing, dedicated to the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. It is a very welcoming church, there is a window dedicated to the 40 Martyrs and also some very beautiful glass rescued from the demolition of a local convent. Most interesting of all however is the ceiling - an exact copy of the Sistine Chapel, carefully scaled down... Read More

Dr Ian Linden gave this lecture at Queen's University Belfast on Saturday: Since Theodor Herzl encouraged Lord Rothschild and the British Colonial Secretary, Joseph Chamberlain, to embrace a Jewish colonization of Sinai, Palestine and Cyprus in the late 1890s, the historical evolution of Jewish settlement in Palestine was marked by the paired imperial concerns, Ethnicity and Land. As Uganda, propo... Read More

Usama Nicola writes from Bethlehem: For nearly an hour, the sky over Bethlehem has been filled with the sound of fighter jets and tankers. It's a sound you don't get used to, no matter how many times it happens. It enters your body, not just your ears. It carries tension, questions, and a quiet fear of what might come next. In moments like this, you realize how fragile "normal life" really is. Ke... Read More

Gospel of 4 May 2026 Matthew 10:17-22 At that time: Jesus instructed his Apostles: 'Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say... Read More

During the Regina Caeli prayer on Sunday, with pilgrims in St Peter's Square, Pope Leo said that Jesus' words to us take on new meaning in the light of the Resurrection, much as they did for the early Church. "What once eluded or troubled the disciples now returns to their memory, warms their hearts, and gives them hope", the Pope said. Reflecting on the Gospel of the Last Supper in light of the R... Read More

A silent massacre of humanitarian workers is taking place around the world. Once considered the pride of international agencies, in a system that saw aid workers as the spearhead of collaboration between nations to combat hunger, drought, and war, today they are forced to pay a very high price in human lives. In 2025, at least 326 humanitarian workers were killed in 21 countries, bringing the numb... Read More

Sir John Battle is this year's speaker for the online Anthony Storey Memorial Lecture, entitled: 'Hope in Turbulent Times' on Wednesday, 13 May 7pm. John was MP for Leeds West for over twenty years until he retired in 2010. Since retirement he has remained totally committed to his Leeds area and has gone on to be an active part of a number of community projects in West Leeds. He is a leading ant... Read More

Cardinal Luis Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, has appointed Father Sean O'Leary, CSSp, Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in Taiwan for a five-year term (2026-2031). The new Director of the PMS was born in Ireland in 1967 and belongs to the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, (Spiritans) and was ordained on June 8, 1997. In December 1997, he arrived in Taiwan, ... Read More

A series of events marking the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi will be held in the Kingdom of Bahrain during the 'Year of Isa Al Kabir,' declared by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in honour of Sheikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa (known as Isa Al Kabir), regarded as the founder of the modern Bahraini state and a key figure in its institutional renewal. The announcement was made in ... Read More

Usama Nicola writes in Bethlehem Updates: Today marked the final session of the icon-writing course that began in January. While the city was busy with the noise and tension of local council elections, I stepped away into a different kind of space, one of silence, prayer, and attention. I spent five hours completing my icon, and we ended with prayers and blessings, for the icon and for each of us ... Read More