World Mission Sunday is celebrated in every Catholic community in the world on Sunday 23 October as “a moment of grace to express solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Christ who are living in situations of poverty, violence and oppression”. Every parish, school and community is invited to join this special event. All donations made to Missio go towards helping missionaries everywhere continue their work.
Food bank bosses delivered a joint letter to 10 Downing Street on Monday warning of “unsustainable” demand for their services and calling for measures to prevent a winter of hunger for thousands across the UK. A delegation of representatives from The Trussell Trust, Independent Food Aid Network and Feeding Britain - all of which have good links with faith initiatives - warned that local operations were running out of food because of unprecedented demand for their services and donors being hit by the economic situation. Emma Revie, CEO of The Trussell Trust, said, “two in five people claiming benefits have needed to skip meals to keep up with other essential living costs.” Caritas Westminster tweeted that, “a significant number of our Diocesan parishes and schools now run their own foodbanks, and many more support existing projects.” Referring to the food bank letter, it added that, “we're sure they would echo what is described here, and what is being called for.”
Andy Dunne has been appointed headteacher of Newman Catholic College. Mr Dunne has been a senior member of staff at the school in Willesden, London for 12 years and has been acting headteacher since September 2022. Mr Dunne succeeds Mr Danny Coyle, headteacher since 2015, who has taken the headteacher role at Cardinal Wiseman School in Ealing. The latest 2022 Ofsted inspection found that “Newman Catholic College continues to be a good school”. RG
A special Mass was celebrated in Iona’s Catholic House of Prayer on 12 October to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The late Mary Burn-Murdoch was especially remembered for her vision. She spent a decade working towards setting up the house, and famously drawing in Frances Shand Kydd as a trustee and fundraiser. A service in Iona Abbey also celebrated the Silver Jubilee, attended by both parishioners as well as friends from other Christian denominations and was followed by a reception in the Village Hall. Beautifully situated overlooking the Sound of Iona, the opening of the House of Prayer Oratory in 1997 enabled regular celebration of Mass for the first time on Iona since the Reformation. The house provides accommodation and hospitality to pilgrims.
Catholic Mary Colwell, an author and champion for curlew recovery and nature education, received a prestigious award from the RSPB last Saturday at the charity’s AGM. A passionate advocate for nature, Mary was chosen as the 2022 recipient of the RSPB Medal thanks to her commitment to raising awareness of the plight of the Eurasian curlew, a bird which is threatened with extinction in the UK and Ireland. Mary also led a campaign to secure a Natural History GCSE in schools across the UK which was successful earlier this year. RSPB chief executive, Beccy Speight said, “Mary’s dedication to the plight of the curlew should inspire us all.” Speaking of the new Natural History GCSE, she added that, “Mary’s work will go a long way in inspiring and emboldening the conservationists of the future
Taoiseach Micheál Martin led tributes to Fr Pat Cogan, founder and former CEO of Ireland’s leading housing agency, Respond, who died on 12th October. In a statement, Mr Martin said Fr Cogan was “a man of deep faith as well as action” and he praised his dedication to social justice. He said that since founding Respond in 1982, “Fr Pat tirelessly and passionately advocated for the most vulnerable in our communities, helping provide quality and safe homes for thousands of people”. Born in Cork in 1945, Fr Pat Cogan joined the Franciscans in 1962 and was ordained a priest in 1970. He set up Respond’s first housing scheme in Waterford and he remained involved with the agency as CEO and director until 2016. Declan Dunne, current CEO of Respond, said Fr Pat worked tirelessly in the housing sector to build an Ireland where everyone can have a home to call their own and where individuals, families and communities are empowered to reach their full potential. “His founding principles of a right to housing and social justice continue to guide Respond today, and we are committed to continuing the work begun by Father Pat.”
Social Justice Ireland has called on the Irish Government to raise core social welfare rates by a further €8 a week in the forthcoming Social Welfare Bill. At the launch of the think tank’s latest study, ‘Poverty Focus 2022’, CEO of Social Justice Ireland, Fr Seán Healy said a basic increase of €20 a week was required in Budget 2023 in order for people to simply maintain their current position. While welcoming progress in reducing Ireland’s overall poverty rate, Fr Healy said Budget 2023’s increase fell far short of achieving this modest target. The Government announced a €12 increase in core social welfare rates in the Budget and this, according to Social Justice Ireland, “lags behind anticipated inflation for necessities in the coming year.” He also warned that the underlying trends in the income distribution, where there are small nominal increases in welfare alongside more pronounced increases in earnings and reductions in income taxation, are likely to widen income divides and push poverty upwards.
Justice and Peace Scotland took part in walks through Edinburgh and Glasgow last weekend to highlight human trafficking, the exploitation of vulnerable people for their bodies and labour. Wearing black and walking in single file it was part of the ‘Walk for Freedom’ event in cities worldwide on 15 October. The Edinburgh Walk set off from St John’s Episcopal Church. Frances Gallagher of Justice and Peace Scotland told The Tablet that 75 took part in the Edinburgh Walk for Freedom, and there were about 50 at the Glasgow walk, which she attended. “As we walked silently we held posters with messages such as ‘I’m walking for the 22 year old woman caught in exploitation’ and ‘I’m walking for the 6 year old boy forced to beg on the streets’.” She felt, “we all need to participate in ending slavery and we all must be able to spot the signs of modern slavery and human trafficking - its happening where you are, to people just like you and me in rural places and in cities right now.”
The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland is to be restructured. Following a recent plenary meeting at the Royal Scots College in Salamanca, the Scottish Bishops have determined to reassert six main areas of mission activity. The Conference has also announced the formation of a permanent Synodality Committee, in line with recent consultation, which will be led by Bishop Brian McGee of Argyll and the Isles. President of the Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Hugh Gilbert of Aberdeen expressed thanks to the volunteers and staff who help to run the Conference. He said, “In trying to respond to the times as they change, we have looked closely at the role and remit of all our agencies and commissions and ensured Episcopal representation for them all. We hope this structure will allow us to share the Joy of the Gospel and the vision of the Catholic Church with the people of Scotland”.
The Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh has called on Catholics to oppose legislation aimed at legalising assisted suicide in Scotland. Archbishop Leo Cushley said that it was “a matter of Christian duty” to express opposition to the measure, which has been introduced at Holyrood by Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur, who serves as Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. The Assisted Dying (Scotland) Bill will allow anyone over the age of 16 who has been diagnosed as terminally ill and who has been resident in Scotland for twelve months to receive assistance in ending their own life. Archbishop Cushley pointed to the example of Canada, where terminally ill patients in extreme physical pain were allowed to seek assisted dying, but where the provision has now extended to those with chronic illness of disability. And he described the situation in Belgium and the Netherlands, where people with mental illnesses, including teenagers, could receive euthanasia, as “most alarming”. Archbishop Cushley’s pastoral letter calls on Catholics to register opposition to the Bill.
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