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Anyone fortunate enough to be at the Greenbelt festival this weekend will be able to see the British premiere of Francesco, a most moving play with music based on the 'Little Flowers of St Francis, in this the beloved saint's 800th anniversary year. I was fortunate to see a special preview of the piece, written and composed by Daniel Zappi, performed for Palestine in London in June. Superbly direc... Read More

Heritage Open Days, England's largest festival of history and culture, runs from 11 to 20 September this year. Thousands of volunteers across the country will welcome visitors to historic buildings and offer free events and experiences, including several at Catholic churches in East Anglia. At St Edmund's Catholic Church in Bungay, visitors can discover a Grade II* listed building with a Catholic ... Read More

The West Bank has become "a lawless land" and tensions between settlers and the Palestinian population are continually rising. The situation is ongoing "without any effective security or legal restraints," Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, said yesterday, on the final day of the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples in Rimini. "The fact that there is a situation of con... Read More

Pope Leo XIV has expressed his deep sorrow over the loss of life and widespread devastation caused by flash floods in Nepal. In a telegram sent on Thursday and signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, the Pope commended the souls of those who died "to the clemency of the Almighty" and offered his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved. He also assured all those affected by the disaster... Read More

"They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks" (Is 2:4) is the theme of Pope Leo XIV's Message for the 11th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, published by the Vatican today. The World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation will be on 1 September - beginning the Ecumenical Season of Creation, which will conclude on 4 October, the liturgical feast of ... Read More

Gospel of 27 August 2026 Luke 7:11-17 At that time: Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, '... Read More

Janusz Sikora-Sikorski, KC*SG, who leads two Ango Polish charities and is producer of the annual Chopin Festival and Polish Carols at Westminster Cathedral, has fond memories of Dolly Parton. The company he worked for - the Agency Group Ltd (founded by another Catholic Neil Warnock), were agents for all her live performances in Europe - including her historic performance on June 29, 2014, on the P... Read More

Dolly Parton died yesterday at the age of 80, leaving behind millions of grieving fans whose lives were touched by her extraordinary music and the legendary ways she shared her faith and God's love with others. Her nephew Bryan Seaver, shared in the family's official announcement: "Dolly has lived in the light, and is in the arms of Jesus… May God bless Dolly Parton, and may God bless you. She ... Read More

Exciting work is underway in the monastery garden at St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth. Nestling in the Surrey Hills near Guildford, a new programme of planting has been gradually building in the hope to bring new life and spiritual expression to parts of the monastery grounds. The project is being undertaken by one of the new novice monks, Brother Ambrose, who has been overwhelmed by the kindness... Read More

During the General Audience today in St Peter's Basilica, Pope Leo XIV highlighted the importance of the liturgical reform enacted by the Second Vatican Council, which encouraged the faithful to participate more actively in the liturgy and enter into a deeper relationship with God. "Through the Church's ritual actions, whilst the memorial of the work of salvation is celebrated, the opportunity is... Read More

A striking photographic exhibition that reveals the people and stories behind familiar images of the Holy Land is coming to the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary and St Dominic, St Dominic's Priory, Haverstock Hill, from Friday 4 to Sunday 13 September 2026. 50 Faces of the Holy Land features intimate black-and-white portraits by photographer Marcin Mazur. The project brings together Israeli and Pa... Read More

A bishop serving on Ukraine's front line says he sees "constant signs of hope" - despite the wholesale destruction of villages and churches as drones and missiles land. Bishop Maksym Ryabukha of Donetsk told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN): "The material destruction is devastating. Now they are razing houses, one by one, including rectories. "In Kostantynivka the church was destroyed. Through ima... Read More

Bishop Timothy Menezes, an Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Birmingham, has called attention to the threat which assisted suicide poses not just to the elderly, but to all vulnerable people. In a video message, Bishop Menezes shares the concerns of a young parishioner with disabilities: "A young man spoke to me after Mass and he said, 'Thank you for mentioning assisted dying. As a disabled ... Read More

Gospel of 26 August 2026 Matthew 23:27-32 At that time: Jesus said, 'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites... Read More