The Rosary Shrine in London is holding a eucharistic healing service on 16 March. A period of adoration begins at 7.15pm, accompanied by choral music including the Tenebrae Responsories by the Renaissance composer Tomás Luis de Victoria, with prayers for relief from spiritual, moral and physical afflictions and individual benedictions. Information on Catholic counselling and therapy services will be available in the church. The Church of St Dominic is the Shrine of the Rosary for the Archdiocese of Westminster and the adjoining priory is the residence of the provincial of the Dominican friars who serve it.
A new report has found widespread malnutrition among asylum seekers in London. Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming, worked with Jesuit Refugee Service UK and Life Seekers Aid on the research. Concerns were raised about food provided in catered accommodation, with evidence of poor food safety and lack of provision, in some cases leading to hospitalisation. Sarah Teather, director of Jesuit Refugee Service, said the report opens a window onto instances where local communities have come together to begin to shape a more human response. “It demonstrates that a different approach is possible – and badly needed. Change is long overdue.”
Chris Young, Professor of Modern and Medieval German Studies at the University of Cambridge, has been elected next Master of St Edmund’s College. Professor Young, a medievalist and a prize-winning historian of modern sport, is currently co-curating a major exhibition this summer at the Fitzwilliam Museum on the 1924 Paris Olympics, known through the film Chariots of Fire, and serving on the German government’s Historical Commission on the terrorist attack at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. He said, “St Edmund’s has a unique heritage and global vision within the Cambridge landscape. I am delighted to be able to continue the work of Catherine Arnold and her predecessors and look forward to serving the College and working with its Fellows and students in the next exciting phase of its development”. As set out in the College’s Statutes, the Master of St Edmund’s presides over the College “as a place of education, religion, learning and research” within the University of Cambridge.
The Archdiocese of Birmingham has produced a video series about its annual Lourdes pilgrimage. Why Lourdes? comprises six short videos where doctors, nurses, carers for the sick and school age volunteers talk about taking part in the pilgrimage. Each video has been filmed in Lourdes and lasts between three and five minutes. “There’s such an overwhelming sense of peace and tranquillity here,” said Lauren, a 17-year-old pilgrim. The next Birmingham Archdiocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes will take place from 27 May to 1 June.
Caritas Salford is urging hikers to join a fundraising walk on 14 September. The 8.6 mile walk around Whalley in Lancashire will raise money for Caritas services in Lancashire and Greater Manchester. Patrick O'Dowd, director of the charity, said: “Hardworking people in our area are having to make decisions every day on whether they can feed their children or keep a safe, secure roof over their heads.” The walk is part of Caritas Salford’s Every Step campaign, which is challenging people to step outside their mental or physical comfort zones. Non-walkers can help the charity by engaging in other sponsored activities ranging from wild swims to bake sales.
Pope Francis has sent a blessing to the Catholic Union of Great Britain. On March 6, the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, conveyed the Pope’s apostolic blessing to the Rt Hon Sir Edward Leigh MP the Union’s former president. The Pope sent “greetings and good wishes” to Leigh and all involved in the union’s “important work”. The message continued: “In emphasising the importance of our baptismal vocation to evangelise, His Holiness reminds us that proclaiming the Gospel message... also involves proclaiming it to professional, scientific and academic circles”.
A webinar for Catholics on animal agriculture and an introduction to animal rights from a faith perspective has been organised by Catholic Action for Animals, in collaboration with the Diocese of Salford and the Laudato Si’ Action Platform. Bishop of Salford John Arnold, lead bishop on the environment for the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales, is a speaker at the event on Thursday 21 March. He will underline the urgent importance of prayer, discussion and action to tackle the environmental crises. A short video made by conservationist Dr Jane Goodall will be presented. Virginia Bell, a Laudato Si’ Animator, will offer action ideas for parishes, dioceses and communities.
Catholic and Anglican bishops have supported an amendment to the Victims and Prisoners Bill, currently at the committee stage in the House of Lords, highlighting “devastating consequences” for children when primary caregivers are imprisoned. Bishop Richard Moth, lead bishop for prisons for the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales, and Bishop Rachel Treweek, Anglican bishop for prisons, say the amendment requires the central collection and publication of data that shows the number of primary carers in the prison system, how many children they are responsible for, as well as the ages of those children. More than 17,500 children are estimated to be separated from their mothers in prison.
Fears have been raised that a long established Catholic church could close permanently, although the Diocese of Middlesbrough said no decision had been made. St Peter’s in South Bank, the oldest Catholic church remaining in Middlesbrough, has been declared unsafe, with structural reports commissioned by the diocese leading to repair estimates of more than £1 million. About 90 people, including Bishop of Middlesbrough Terry Drainey, attended a recent public meeting, where parishioners suggested the diocese should invest money in the building.
Pope Francis has appointed Fr Donal Roche as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Dublin, the largest diocese in the Irish church. Welcoming the appointment, Archbishop Dermot Farrell said that he had requested an auxiliary bishop to assist him in light of the rapidly changing needs of Dublin, which has a population of over 1.5 million, of whom a million identify as Catholics, spread over 197 parishes. Sixty-five-year-old Fr Roche succeeds Bishops Ray Field and Eamonn Walsh who retired as auxiliaries in Dublin in 2019. Ordained in 1986, Fr Roche has served as episcopal vicar in Dublin for the past five years.
The Irish bishops have called for “immediate action” over the plight of rough sleepers in Ireland. In a statement following their Spring meeting, they noted the latest data from the Department of Housing which showed that the number of homeless people in Ireland has climbed to a new high of 13,531, including more than 4,000 children. They urged the government to “invest the resources needed to address a preventable situation, which can have a lifelong impact on young people”. They also highlighted that more than 2,500 people are in an acute state of homelessness in Northern Ireland.
For the first time in its 125-year history the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association has elected a woman as president. Frances Egan was announced as the new leader of the Irish temperance movement on Mother’s Day. The Galway-based mother-of-four, who has been married for 40 years, told the Irish Independent it was “a huge moment for the Pioneers” which was founded in 1898 by Fr James Cullen and four women. She said the Pioneers’ goals were “more important than ever” as “alcohol is a big problem” in Irish society today and she appealed to members to make themselves identifiable by wearing their Pioneer badges.
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