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This year, parishes across our diocese celebrated the Feast of St Francis of Assisi through the blessing of parishioners' pets. On Sunday 4th October, parishes from across the Diocese held special blessings for pets in addition to their usual Sunday Masses. Held in honour of the Feast of St Francis of Assisi and part of a long-standing tradition within the Church, these blessings celebrate the patronage that St Francis has over ecology and animals. To commemorate not only the

The Medaille Trust in collaboration with Pan Intercultural Arts are running a series of events for Anti-Slavery Week 2026 (12th October-18th October). On Tuesday 13th Medaille Trust are hosting a three-course Iranian dinner, with a performance from a survivors’ choir and tour of artworks created by survivors supported by the charity. On Wednesday 14th they are launching with the Coalition to Stop Slavery a new campaign ‘See the Strings’. The campaign features a powerful ser

Welcome to Papal Insights for the month of September. We may have just ended the Season of Creation, but that doesn’t mean we can cover our ears against the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. You are more than welcome to continue using our Season of Creation resources all year round! This month we written reflections on the Pope’s homily from a Votive Mass for the Care of Creation, as well as one of his regular Sunday Angelus addresses. Homily – Mass for the Care of Cr

Welcome to the Caritas Round-Up for the month of September 2026! Over the last month we have returned to our work with our diocesan schools, we've been hard at work creating resources and we have celebrated the Season of Creation - to get a flavour of what we've been up to, read below. Jubilee Garden Project | The Ecological Conversion Group Siân and Michael attended the launch of the Jubilee Garden Project, a joint project between The Ecological Conversion Group and The God

After more than 140 years of supporting individuals and communities across the UK, Saint John of God Hospitaller Services has announced a new trading name: The Do Good Charity. The rebrand, which officially launches on 15 September 2026, reflects the organisation's desire to communicate its purpose more clearly and make its work more accessible to a wider audience. The charity says the decision to adopt the name The Do Good Charity is rooted in a simple objective: to ensure t

This week, we joined the Jesuit Refugee Service UK, St Vincent de Paul Society England & Wales, Caritas Social Action Network and Caritas Plymouth to hand in hundreds of postcards petitioning the Prime Minister to defend asylum. This was our chance to stand in solidarity with migrants and refugees at a time when so many are living in fear and facing violence. We are very grateful to our young adult volunteer supporters who joined us, one shared: “It’s important as Christians

Across the Diocese more people are discovering how the message of Laudato Si’ can be lived out in practical ways within our communities. Laudato Si’ Animators across the country are there to help parishioners deepen their relationship with God, care for creation, and respond to the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable. In his landmark 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’, Pope Francis reflected on the interconnected social and environmental challenges facing our world. He reminded

During this year’s Season of Creation, we are highlighting Good News Stories from our communities around the diocese, exploring what ecological approaches can be taken to attend to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. St Thomas More High School in Westcliff was awarded CAFOD’s LiveSimply Award through dedicating itself to collectively living simply, sustainably and in solidarity with the wider community. Inspired by the launch of the Laudato Si’ Invitations, Commitme

Click here to register for free Programme of the Day 12:45pm – Arrivals and charity stalls Main content including Bishop Alan Williams and Jon Cruddas (keynote speaker) Coffee break (charity stalls) Main content including areas of focus 5pm – Departures Travel Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church Hall, 51 Cambridge Park, London E11 2PR Wanstead Parish is a 5-minute walk from Wanstead Underground Station on the Central Line. There are regular bus routes from London that stop ju

Parishioners of St Edward the Confessor in Romford have been taking further environmentally conscious approaches to their faith and how they express it. Read below to learn why they’ve been getting up to. Alongside some from St Mary Mother of God (Hornchurch), St Edward’s parishioners prayed an ecological rosary at Raphael Park. One parishioner described that it was “such a fruitful and prayerful time to be swayed by the wind under the shade of the trees.” Then, on the first

Welcome to Papal Insights for this month! In August, the Pope gradually returned to his regular duties following his Summer break in July. Read below for our reflections and commentary on what the Pope said and wrote in the last month. 11th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation (15th Aug) Since we are in the Season of Creation, the headline for this ‘Papal Insights’ is Pope Leo’s message for the 2026 World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. Taking place on the 1st

Welcome to Caritas Round-Up for the month of August 2026! We spent much of August working on our various projects, resources and upcoming events. Now entering September, we are looking forward to what the new academic year brings for us. Bosco Camp 2026 The St John Bosco Children’s Camp ran for two fun-filled weeks this year, which allowed 170 children to have a camping holiday that they wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity to go on, accompanied by 120 experienced volu