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The following article was written by Liz Bishop, a parishioner and youth group leader at Basildon Parish. On the evening of the 10th April, 20 young people and leaders from Our Lady and All Saints Parish in Basildon came together to sleep outside in solidarity with our homeless brothers and sisters. We had planned a full schedule of activities before settling down for the night, including a Rock Paper Scissors Tournament, 11pm Mass (at which Fr Albert struggled not to fall as

St Francis Leprosy Guild is delighted to announce that Phil McCarthy, founder of Pilgrim Ways, is currently walking the Via di Francesco to mark the 800th anniversary of St Francis’ death and raise funds for SFLG. Founder of Pilgrim Ways, Phil McCarthy Phil set off from Florence on 27th April and hopes to reach Rome by 30th May, covering a grand total of 322 miles. Explaining why he is raising funds, Phil said: “As a medical student in India I saw the devastating consequences

See below for new opportunities for work (paid and voluntary) with Catholic organisations within the Diocese of Brentwood. CAFOD – Community Participation Co-Ordinator CAFOD are hiring. Could you inspire Catholics to participate in the Church’s mission, working to overcome poverty and injustice? Do you want to work for CAFOD and encourage support and partnership within the Church? We are looking for a Community Participation Coordinator to work in the Diocese of Brentwood. Fo

The following article was originally uploaded to the Diocese of Brentwood website. The Parish of Our Lady and All Saints in Basildon has received a series of awards recognising the remarkable impact of its youth ministry, alongside the successful re‑launch and continued growth of its youth projects. In November 2025, the parish youth ministry received a Highly Commended award in the category of ‘Strengthening Communities’ at the Basildon Activities Awards. Then in March 2026

Welcome to Papal Insights for the month of April! As you may have heard and seen, in April the Pope took a historic trip to Africa where he visited 4 different countries – Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea – over the span of 10 days. Whilst there, some of the places that he visited have faced violence, turmoil and upheavals all within recent memory; he took opportunities during those visits to call for peace, dialogue and understanding – a staple of his papacy

Article credit: David Byrne from Caritas Social Action Network Bishop John Arnold’s election as the next President of Caritas Europa is wonderful news for the wider Caritas family and a deeply encouraging moment for all those committed to Catholic social action across Europe. A longstanding friend and supporter of CSAN, Bishop John has consistently demonstrated a profound commitment to Catholic Social Teaching, international solidarity, and the inherent dignity of every perso

Welcome to our Caritas Round-Up for April 2026! Our work this month has been varied and exciting, with many networking opportunities: from schools, to parishes, to organisations and even Parliament! We are grateful for the continued support we have received. Thank you! Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society Visit We had the privilege of visiting the BCCS Team at their offices in Billericay. We were shown around their offices, where they provide in-house counselling and therapy

Aligning with our core areas of focus: poverty, refugees and the environment, this series is designed as a foundational guide to help you and your parish engage thoughtfully with politicians on some of the most urgent issues of our time. Each resource focuses on a different area, offering practical ways to connect the daily conversations happening in society with the values of our faith. Inspired primarily by Catholic Social Teaching, they aim to encourage informed, construct

Church Action on Poverty have announced the theme for this year’s ‘Church Action on Poverty Sunday’ – Food, Faith and Fellowship. This year, Church Action on Poverty Sunday will take place on Sunday 18th October. Since they began, these Sundays are days that we are encouraged to give, act and pray together in our churches across the UK. By doing so, we can help bring about a more just and compassionate society, where everyone can live life to the full, freed from poverty. Las

There is clear evidence that urgent action will strengthen our economy, resilience, and quality of life. The National Emergency Briefing exists to help create a societal tipping point towards the action now required. You can help make it happen. © https://www.nebriefing.org/ The National Emergency Briefing (NEB) calls on the UK government to give a national televised briefing on the climate and nature crisis followed by a national emergency response of the kind we saw in WWII

The Caritas Brentwood team had the privilege of supporting a Sponsored Sleepout Challenge at St Mark’s West Essex Secondary School. Alongside two staff from Your Place (formerly Caritas Anchor House), we helped students explore the realities of homelessness and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis affecting so many across our country. The evening began with Mass, offering students a moment to reflect on the experiences of people who are homeless and to consider how tonight was a

See below for upcoming meetings and events from the Journey to 2030 Network. “Any Other Business”: Integral Ecology Forum Date/Time: Tuesday 28th April 7:00-8:00pm GMT Location: Online (Microsoft Teams) – register to receive link Registration: https://journeyto2030.org/events/ Join us online for “Any Other Business” – an informal space of encouragement and support to share your ideas, projects, hopes and challenges that affect you and your work of integral ecology in the Chur