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Sixth Sunday of Easter Most of us may have little remembrance of our own baptism, but I am sure we can recollect the day of our Confirmation, a ceremony where we took that step into the adult life of the faith strengthened by the gift of the Holy Spirit. In recent years some of us will have become familiar with the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, particularly if our parish community has ... Read More

Many Catholics desire to go deeper in their faith, and understanding, but often don't know where to begin. The Church has given us an extraordinary treasury of spiritual wisdom in the writings of the saints. Books that have formed generations of Catholics in prayer, love of God, and perseverance in the Christian life. All right there to help us on the journey of deepening our faith. Yet these grea... Read More

On Thursday, 7th May, residents of Taybeh, the last entirely Palestinian Christian village in the West Bank, reported that Israeli settlers stormed their land and established a new illegal outpost. Residents also said settlers threatened to kill those returning to their property and later seized a nearby quarry. Bishop Jim Curry visited Taybeh earlier this year as part of the Holy Land Coordinatio... Read More

Gospel of 9 May 2026 John 15:18-21 At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, 'If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: "A servant is not greater than his master." If... Read More

Pope Leo XIV marked the first anniversary of his pontificate on Friday, May 8, with a visit to the southern Italian cities of Pompeii and Naples. The Pope celebrated Mass in the square in front of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary, and recalled that he was elected Pope on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii. "I therefore had to come here, to place my service under the protection of t... Read More

CAFOD Director Dr Christine Allen, who was fortunate to be in St Peter's Square on 8th May last year, standing near the steps of the Basilica when Pope Leo appeared on the balcony, reflects on Pope Leo's first year in office. She said: "Witnessing him emerge onto the balcony of St Peter's as the new Pope a year ago was a very moving experience. I remember the crowd's reaction, hearing him speak i... Read More

The Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, in the United States, has announced plans to build a shrine to Venerable Father Augustine Tolton, whose story of overcoming racial discrimination and divisions in his time continues to be a source of inspiration to promote peace and unity. Venerable Father Augustine Tolton - the first publicly recognized Black priest in the United States - was a much-loved pas... Read More

Today was Solidarity Day, and hundreds of people joined Rabbis for Human Rights and other activist groups to visit Palestinian communities across the West Bank living in the line-of-fire of settler terrorism. Early in the morning buses of activists left from different cities in Israel, as Palestinian communities prepared to host them on the ground. We quickly realized that the Army and Police had ... Read More

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Council for World Mission (CWM), through a joint communique, demanded fundamental reform of how extractive industries operate across Africa, following a five-day consultation in Gaborone, Botswana. Church leaders, theologians, Indigenous leaders, and community representatives gathered from 21-25 April for the Africa Consultation on Mining, Land, and Just... Read More

The theme was 'Light in the Darkness', when sixth formers from a Newcastle school headed to Ampleforth Abbey for a two-day retreat. The 20 students were the second group to visit the abbey from St Cuthbert's Catholic High School, which is a member of the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, and were led by Head of Religious Education Stephanie Peacock, alongside monks Father Bede and Brother Ed... Read More

Gospel of 8 May 2026 John 15:12-17 At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, 'This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. 'No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you frien... Read More

In Taybeh, the West Bank's last entirely Palestinian Christian town, residents say Israeli settlers are tightening efforts to push them off their land in what locals describe as a broader campaign of intimidation and ethnic cleansing. Ihab Hassan reports on social media: "Today, Israeli settlers stormed the Christian village of Taybeh in the West Bank again, establishing a new illegal outpost, har... Read More

Pope Leo XIV held an audience with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Apostolic Palace, on Thursday, after his meeting with the Polish Prime Minister. According to a Vatican press release, the "cordial talks" saw both states renew "the shared commitment to fostering sound bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America." Their encounter also included an exchange o... Read More

Pope Leo XIV received the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, Donald Tusk, in the Vatican on Thursday morning. Mr Tusk subsequently met with the Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Vatican Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, at the Secretariat of State. According to a statement released by the Holy See... Read More