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Basildon Emergency Night Shelters offer friendly, welcoming and safe spaces for people experiencing homelessness and strives to make them as comfortable as possible. The project is volunteer led, with 60-70+ volunteers who staff evening and morning shifts. BENS is a grassroots initiative of Churches Together in Basildon, delivered by ACE Impact CIC, their simple yet vital mission is to offer warmth, safety and support to people experiencing homelessness across the Basildon ar

In January, we had the privilege to hear about the dedicated work of parishioners in St Francis of Assisi Parish in Stratford. Des Hoddy, Pastoral Assistant at St Francis’, gave a brief talk about the important work carried out by the parish’s volunteers. We have adapted the content of Des’ talk into the article below. St Francis of Assisi Parish, Stratford is committed to offering hope to those experiencing homelessness in the local area. Guided by their faith and supported

Dear friends of Caritas Brentwood, Welcome to our Papal Insights, in this edition we have a couple of the Pope’s weekly Angelus addresses as well as a letter to Franciscans. Since taking his office, several themes have begun to crop up in Pope Leo XIV’s communications, these are present in the quotes used below and are very much in continuity with the teachings of Pope Francis; however, it is heartening to see Pope Leo beginning to develop his own style and his own way of add

The image above has been provided by the Santa Marta Group. “Listen! The wages of the labourers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.” James 5:4 Sunday 8 February is the feast day of Saint Josephine Bakhita, and the international day of prayer and awareness against human trafficking. Saint Josephine Bakhita, patron saint of slavery, survived years of being trafficked into ensla

Dear friends, Can you believe we made it to the end of January? After the busyness of the Advent season, Christmas and end-of-year celebrations, January feels like hitting the brakes and those first couple of weeks are spent almost having to remind yourself of your name, age and job title all over again – whilst also setting new goals and targets for the year ahead. This past month, we spent a lot of time going out and engaging with parishioners in the Diocese. As always, our

All images and text have been taken from the CBCEW’s website. The theme for Racial Justice Sunday is: “Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:21). Where racial justice is concerned, we must never tire of repeating what has been said before, though we always seek new ways to convey our message. Racial Justice Sunday 2026 is devoted to the promotion of racial justice in our Catholic parishes across England and Wales and society and an encouragement to be consc

The inaugural Catholic Diocese Environment Conference, held last year in Westminster, marked the first inter-diocesan event in England and Wales focused exclusively on environmental issues. The conference planning group has now brought out a new booklet to help showcase what is available for parishes. Last year’s conference was a resounding success, as representatives from nearly every diocese in England and Wales came together to focus on a single issue. Representatives incl

On Monday 12th January, Neil Thorns, CAFOD’s Director of Advocacy and Communications, gave a talk at the monthly SDEN Meeting on the outcomes of COP30. Neil reported on the conference – which was held in Brazil in November – providing his own analysis of what came out of COP30, as well as what was agreed (and what wasn’t). Neil then took us through what issues were raised at the conference, and how CAFOD aims to respond to them with their global partners. Neil particularly hi

The National Justice & Peace Network is hosting a webinar on the realities of racism in England on the 5th February at 7:30pm. Racism in England remains a real and ongoing injustice. Despite strong equality laws, evidence shows that racism continues to shape lives through: Racially motivated hate crime Discrimination in employment, education, housing, and healthcare Disproportionate policing and criminal justice outcomes Hostility linked to migration debates and global events

World Leprosy Day is observed on​ the last Sunday of January every year to raise awareness of leprosy. It’s a time to recognise everyone worldwide who is affected by the disease, those who are supporting them and our goal for a leprosy-free world. St Francis Leprosy Guild are the UK Catholic Charity taking action and making a difference. To find out more about them click here St Francis Leprosy Guild Prayer: Lord, we remember the many people around the world affected by lepr

Since 2011, SiLENT has empowered people to embrace silence as a powerful act of reflection and solidarity. Silence has deep roots in the Christian tradition, especially during Lent—it’s a time to pause, reflect, and listen. Million Minutes invites you to be part of SiLENT 2026, our inspiring campaign rising vital funds to support our work with young people across the country. During Lent, they are asking you to stand in solidarity with silenced young people. By participating

Last term, students at the Ursuline Academy in Ilford took part in a creative campaign that celebrated the unique gifts of each pupil. Students from the Academy created decorated cut-outs of hands and doves as a reminder of the importance of being “United in Harmony” within their school community. Deirdre Eakins, Head of Year 11 and RS Teacher said: At the Ursuline Academy, we enjoy learning about the Ursuline Student Profile Values, and over the years we have worked hard to