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UK & Ireland

News from United Kingdom & Ireland covering parishes, dioceses, religious orders, community groups, homelessness, moral & political issues and pilgrims. See our UK & Ireland Parishes Links page for relevant links.


Salford launches special Christmas animations

With demand for its services supporting people experiencing poverty, homelessness and disadvantage continuing to grow, local charity Caritas Salford - which helps people from across Greater Manchester and Lancashire - is asking people to think differently about Christmas this year. The charity has joined forces with Manchester's Doodledo to create a special animation featuring bee characters in a ... Read More


Cardinal Manning's walking stick presented to Archbishops House

Descendant of Daniel O'Sullivan presents the walking stick to Bishop Hudson. Image: CBCEW

This walking-stick was given by Cardinal Edward Manning (1808-92) to London dock-worker Daniel O'Sullivan in recognition of services rendered during the Great Dockers' strike which began on 14th August 1889 in support of a claim for 6d an hour (equivalent to around £4 an hour) and an overtime rate of 8d an hour. Millwall Docks General Manager Colonel George Birt told a House of Lords Commission a... Read More


London: Faith and Women talks at Farm Street

Image ICN/JS

A new series of Faith and Women talks starts on Wednesday, 13 November at 1.35pm in the Cana Lounge in the basement of the London Jesuit Centre, 114 Mount Street, London W1K 3AH. The talks will be about 15 minutes each, with time for questions and answers after, concluding at 2.15pm. The topics are all from the perspectives of women, to reflect the emerging themes of the Synod. Both men and women ... Read More


Archbishop of Canterbury resigns

Archbishop Justin Welby

The Archbishop of Canterbury has issued the following statement: Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury. The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth. When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriat... Read More


Thousands of medics tell PM to ditch assisted suicide bill

Image: ICN/JS

Thousands of doctors and nurses have signed an open letter to the Prime Minister urging him to ditch the highly controversial Assisted Dying Bill and say they will refuse to take part if the law is changed. The letter, organised by the campaign group Our Duty of Care (Odoc), goes on to tell Sir Keir that the NHS is broken and the Government's focus should be better funding for palliative care and ... Read More


Plymouth: Statement from Bishop-elect Philip Moger about his installation

Southwark Auxiliary Bishop Philip Moger was due to be installed as Bishop of Plymouth on Saturday, 9 November, but has had to delay the event at short notice. Bishop-elect Philip Moger issued the following statement "In the very last few days, concerns have been raised of a personal nature to which I must attend immediately. This will take a little time. "I have therefore agreed with all directl... Read More


Diocese of East Anglia is now a fully ethical investor

Beautiful Norfolk countryside surrounding St Peter' Church, Mattishallburgh.  Image: ICN/UK

The Diocese of East Anglia has completed its move to become a fully ethical investor, with all its invested reserves now held in stocks and shares that respect Catholic Social Teaching. During 2023, Trustees decided that it was no longer acceptable for the Church's reserves to be invested in shares linked to companies that engage in business that contradict Church teaching. This reflected the sp... Read More


London: 'Coming Home' service at St Martin in the Fields

Choir With No Name Image ICN/JS

'Coming Home' - the annual Service of Commemoration for people who have been homeless, who have died in London in the past year, took place at a packed St Martin in the Fields, Trafalgar Square on Thursday. In this very touching service, the names of 129 people were carefully read out - another 64 people who died were not named. The congregation included friends and relatives of the deceased as we... Read More


Westminster Mayor joins Remembrance events

Mayor Rigby with veteran Louis Myers at Covent Garden ceremony

The Catholic Lord Mayor of Westminster, Cllr Robert Rigby, has attended a number of Remembrance events this week. On Thursday he attended a wreath laying ceremony in Covent Garden with 96-year-old war veteran Louis Myers. Later that day the Mayor joined a team of volunteers from the Royal British Legion at Marylebone Station to support their 2024 Poppy Appeal. Mayor Rigby, said: "It will be my gre... Read More


Manchester: Restoration of Jesuit church reveals fine architectural details

Work to restore the tower of the Holy Name Church in Manchester has begun and with the façade now under scaffolding, beautiful architectural details not easily visible from the ground can now be seen close-up. Commenting, Fr Dushan Croos SJ, the Jesuit priest in charge at Holy Name, said: "Though visible from the ground, from the scaffold one sees more clearly the finer detail of the roundels on ... Read More


Irish Church Leaders meet NI Secretary of State

Church Leaders Group (Ireland) meet with Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP at Assembly Buildings in Belfast

The Church Leaders Group (Ireland) met with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Hilary Benn, MP, yesterday, 6 November, in Assembly Buildings, Belfast, at what was the Group's first meeting with Mr Benn since he was appointed in July. In a joint statement following the meeting, the Church Leaders said: "During what was a very useful engagement, we discussed with the Secretary o... Read More


From Synod to Action: Women's Vocation and Leadership

"By virtue of Baptism, women and men have equal dignity as members of the People of God. However, women continue to encounter obstacles in obtaining a fuller recognition of their charisms, vocation and roles in all the various areas of the Church's life." So begins a key paragraph of the final document of the Sixteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops: For A Synodal Church: Commun... Read More


Mary W - pioneering feminist, and her radical legacy

Mary W - uncompromising free spirit, champion of women's rights, pioneer of girls' right to education, headstrong challenger of the men who did all they could to suppress her striving for female equality, long forgotten but rediscovered with awe and delight in our generation … Mary Wollstonecraft? Certainly. But our Mary W is another. Born in 1585, six generations earlier. Mary Ward, doughty Yor... Read More


Stella Maris appoints port chaplain in northwest

Chris Reynolds with some seafarers

Leading global maritime charity Stella Maris has announced the revival of its port chaplaincy service in the Northwest of England after an absence there of almost 10 years. The charity has appointed Merseyside born-and-bred Christopher Reynolds to the role with immediate effect. Christopher will initially cover the ports of Liverpool, Fleetwood, Maryport, Whitehaven and Barrow, with a view to expa... Read More

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