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The parish of St Edmund of Canterbury & St Thomas More recently celebrated Centenary Mass in thanksgiving for the ministry of the parish in the Loughton area. With over 300 parishioners present on the day, those who attended were delighted to welcome Bishop Alan Williams, who celebrated the Mass. Afterwards, there was a barbecue organised by the hard-working volunteers in the parish, offering their own time to open a space for the sharing of memories, reconnecting with parish

© Mazur/cbcew.org.uk Welcome to Papal Insights for this month. October was quite the whirlwind for Pope Leo XIV as it was announced that he would be having surgery on his lung to remove a growth which was later diagnosed as cancer. He did not stop for long, however, and after taking some time to rest and recover he is back in the saddle. Read below for our reflections on what he said last month. Please join us in praying for his health and mission. Address – International Con

Welcome to the Caritas Round-Up for this month. In October, we had some fantastic days with our schools across the Diocese, this included school visits, as well our annual Student Leadership Follow-Up Day. Read below to find out more. Ilford Catholic Schools Visits Siân (Director, Caritas Brentwood) and Michael (Development Officer, Caritas Brentwood) spent one morning last month visiting both Palmer Catholic Academy and the Ilford Ursuline School in East London. We delivered

Across our Diocese, the cry of the poor still resonates in a multitude of forms. It echoes through the streets where the homeless seek shelter from the cold, in the strain of households stretched thin by the rising cost of living, and in the quiet voices of refugees still waiting, still hoping, within the temporary walls of hotel rooms. To download our 2026 resources, visit our page here<<

Read below for an invite from NEWway Project The Big Newham Sleep Out is back after another successful sleep out last season. A night outside where all money raised goes towards the work we do at NEWway Project supporting those experiencing homelessness in Newham. There will also be an evening quiz and so if you don't feel up to sleeping outside, you can come and join in with just the quiz. Book tickets for both below. Date: Friday 20th November 2026 Time: 8:30pm to 8am the

Image credits: Catholic Bishops' Conference of England & Wales (cbcew.org.uk) On the 10th October, Pope Leo XIV appointed Bishop Timothy Menezes as the new Bishop of Brentwood. This follows Bishop Alan Williams’ formal resignation earlier this year in March, having turned 75 years old. Bishop Timothy has served as an Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, having been ordained as a bishop in July 2024. On the announcement of his appointment, Bp. Timothy said: “It i

The Real Living Wage foundation has just calculated the most recent figures (2026-2027) for the real living wage: £14.10 across the UK and £15.45 in London The RLW is the UK’s only independently calculated wage rate that is rooted in what is needed to cover living costs and provide workers and families with long-term security and stability. Now, thanks to the commitment of nearly 17,000 Living Wage Employers, hundreds of thousands of workers will benefit from a pay rise. The

Read below for an article written by Liz, one of our young adult volunteers, offering a reflection on her time volunteering in her parish in the Summer. This August, I had the absolute joy of helping to lead Basildon parish’s second year of our youth summer programme, ‘Field of Dreams’! Field of Dreams originally started in 2012 (with Caritas Brentwood’s own Fr Dominic, who was stationed as parish priest at the time) as a project aiming to give the young people of Basildon a

💎 ‘Treasure Within’ 💎 A brand new RISE Theatre Primary school day, centred around Catholic Social Teaching. Booking is now open for Spring/Summer 2027! Treasure Within is a dynamic, all-day experience for primary schools that creatively brings the 7 principles of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) to life through live theatre, music, classroom activities, and immersive workshops. The story follows a school child who sets off on a modern-day treasure hunt to discover and apply t

Next month Refugees at Home are holding an online information evening for those interested in hosting refugees in their homes. 📅 Tuesday 10th November, 6-7pm 📍Online (Zoom) 🔗 Click to register "We'll celebrate the positive impact of opening our homes and building connections across different cultures, faiths and experiences. You will hear first-hand from Rachel, a host of more than ten years, and have the opportunity to ask questions about what hosting is really like."

Pictures provided by St Joseph's Primary School. St Joseph’s Primary School & Nursery, Canvey Island has proudly celebrated the hard work and effort of the school’s House Captains. Over the last academic year, the captains showed wonderful leadership in their school by driving creative and heartfelt fundraising. Each house picked a local charity or cause that they wanted to raise funds for, then it was up to the captains build creative events to raise the money. Each initiati

Photo credit: CAFOD Read below for the latest campaign from CAFOD. The UK Energy Secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, will be heading to the UN climate talks, COP31, in Türkiye. Before the conference begins on Monday 9 November, we'd like you to suggest what the Secretary of State should bring with her to help her take urgent action on the climate crisis. Why COP31 matters COP31 in Türkiye comes at a critical moment. With global temperatures on track to exceed 1.5°C and eleven conse