News briefing Britain and Ireland

The light show Luminiscence will bathe Westminster Cathedral in shimmering lights and vibrant colours this summer.

Videos projecting 360-degree colour-scapes over the cathedral’s windows, walls and pillars will include images of what the cathedral’s mosaic domes – which remain incomplete – might have looked like. The spectacle includes the Lux Aeterna choir, singing extracts from Beethoven, Verdi, Debussy, Vivaldi and Bach while the Downton Abbey actor, Hugh Bonneville, delivers a script narrating the story of London and its cathedrals. More than a million spectators have now seenLuminiscence in sacred spaces worldwide, spanning from Belgium to Brazil and the Cathedral of St André in Bordeaux. Luminiscence runs from 1 July-27 September 2026. Tickets start at £32.50. Apply to join the waitlist at luminiscence.com/london/

The 20th annual Mass for Migrants took place at St Antony’s Catholic Church in Forest Gate in East London earlier this month. Brentwood, Southwark and Westminster dioceses joined the celebration which began with a procession of banners. Archbishop of Westminster Richard Moth in his homily spoke of the “freshness” and “newness” brought by migrants. “Let us rejoice in the richness of experience, culture, and faith that we see present in our communities,” he said, adding that the pursuit of peace goes hand-in-hand with the need to recognise the God-given dignity of humanity. “Peace is something that is often fragile, and this is a consequence of the denial of the dignity of the human person. For when we view our brothers and sisters as threats or as enemies, they become devalued in our eyes. They become less than human. May we proclaim to the world around us the dignity of the whole of humanity created by God out of love in His own image and likeness.”

Photos by © Mazur/cbcew.org.uk

Faith groups, charities, sports and media organisations joined against antisemitism in an open letter of support and commitment to the British Jewish community on Sunday, in response to the recent spate of attacks on Jewish targets. Leading business organisationsincluding the Confederation of British Industry, the Federation of Small Businesses, the British Retail Consortium and the British Chambers of Commerce joined the Football Association, the English Cricket Board and Rugby Football Union along with the editors and chief executives of media organisations including ITV, the Express, the Mirror, The Spectator, the Independent, The Guardian and the New Statesman as well as representatives from the Church of England, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Zoroastrian Communities. In the letter, the signatories state, “This country belongs to you as much as any of us. You are as British as all of us who call this country home. And we will do everything we can to protect you and your community from the extremists who threaten you.” They add, “Along with the vast majority of British people we share a vision of our country where people of different faiths, races and beliefs come together to build communities and a country that we can all be proud of.” Julie Siddiqi, co-chair of the UK Muslim Network and one of the signatories, said, “Antisemitism is real, it’s growing and its totally unacceptable. We have a duty not just to condemn it, but to take it on wherever we find it, including in our own communities.”

The Department of Dialogue and Unity of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales held its annual Ecumenical and Interreligious Co-ordinators’ Conference in Northamptonshire at the end of April, giving representatives from around the country an opportunity to hear from one another and share best practice, and to find out about latest initiatives of ecumenical and interreligious activities. Fr Martin Browne OSB, official of the Western section of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, gave a presentation on how Pope Leo XIV is shaping ecumenical and interreligious dialogue.

See No Evil, the Channel 4 documentary that investigated the abuse carried out by Anglican barrister John Smyth, won the BAFTA for factual series at Sunday’s award ceremony. Director Benedict Sanderson said: “Thank you to the extraordinary victims, some who are here tonight, and survivors of John Smyth and to his family for their brave and brilliant testimony in the film and for trusting us to tell this strange, disturbing, haunting, but hugely important story.” Researcher and author Andrew Graystone said, “The team at Passion Pictures, who made these films, have been exemplary in their care, compassion and love for those who took part. The leaders of the Church of England would do well to watch and learn how much healing can come from deep and patient listening to victims of abuse.”

Matthew Sanders, the creator of Magisterium AI and the faith tech company Longbeard will deliver a lecture on AI, the Future of Work and Christian Discernment on Wednesday, 20 May (7.30pm – 9pm). Drawing on Catholic Social teaching, he will answer the question ‘What must remain human?’ The lecture will be livestreamed and hosted by Jenny Sinclair founder and director of Together for the Common Good.

The choreographer Sir David Bintley has written The Canterbury Trails, a musical whose premier will be Friday, 15 May, at the Roman Catholic Church of St Thomas of Canterbury in Canterbury. Bintley is  a former choreographer at the Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet which later became the Birmingham Royal Ballet. He served as its artistic director for 24 years. Also the former artistic director of the National Ballet of Japan, Bintley is a parishioner of St Thomas of Canterbury and the director of the musical, which is inspired by The Canterbury Tales. The music is composed by Colin Towns and the show will be performed by local parishioners on 15 and Saturday 16 May. For tickets please click here.

A day-long Pentecost celebration including the Vigil Mass for the feast will be held at St George’s Cathedral, Southwark on Saturday, 23 May. Encounter Pentecost is organised by the Cathedral community and the Southwark Archdiocese Catholic Charismatic team. It starts at 10.15am and includes Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, opportunities for Confession, the Rosary, a talk by Fr Emmanuel Mansford CFR, testimonies and family activities. rcaos.org.uk/news-events/events/encounter-pentecost-2026/

Former Tablet Rome correspondent Christopher Lamb, author of the new book on Pope Leo XIV, American Hope, will on Monday 18 May at 6.30pm be in conversation with TV presenter and Tablet trustee Julie Etchingham at St Mary Moorfields, the only Catholic church in the City of London.

The maritime charity Stella Maris is inviting sick, retired and active seafarers, fishers and their families from the UK and EU to join the charity on its inaugural Stella Maris Lourdes Pilgrimage, from 25 – 30 May 2026. All major costs, including travel, accommodation and meals will be covered for participants and carers. For information, please visit www.stellamaris.org.uk/lourdes/

On 30 May, a workshop on the Christian online series The Chosen which narrates the life of Jesus is being held at Vaughan House, Westminster. It stars the Catholic actor, Jonathan Roumie as Jesus. The event from 2pm – 5.30pm, will explore how to evangelise through the series.

Nearly  5,000 people asking the UK government to fully fund palliative care in hospices. “Over 50 per cent of hospices were in financial deficit last year and nearly 60 per centof hospices have made or are considering cuts to vital services. Palliative care needs are projected to increase 25 per cent by 2048,” states the petition. Ten thousand signatures are required for the proposal to be debated in Parliament.

Churches have been urged to adopt stronger ethical investment policies. FaithInvest has revealed in a new report that there is still a gap between churches’ stated commitments to investing in line with their values and their implementation. FaithInvest’s 2026 Good Intentions report analysed the publicly available investment policies of 275 churches and other faith-based organisations.  They found that although many faith organisations have long traditions of excluding sectors such as weapons production, tobacco, or gambling, positive investment strategies to proactively support ethical enterprises are much rarer.

Bishop James Curry, lead bishop for the Holy Land of the Catholic bishops’ conference of England and Wales, has condemned the rise in Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. He warned that a recent attack on Taybeh, the only entirely Palestinian Christian village in the West Bank, is “not an isolated incident”. On 7 May the community of Taybeh reported that Israeli settlers had established a new illegal settlement on their land and threatened to kill anyone who returned to their property.

Following a search for a monk missing from his community on Orkney, Police Scotland have confirmed that a body has been found in the sea. Justin Evans, known as Br Ignatius, a Redemptorist at the Golgotha Monastery on Papa Stronsay, had not been seen since 12 April.

The Archdiocese of Edinburgh and St Andrew has said that following a review, the Gillis Centre complex in Edinburgh, which since 1993 has served as the administrative base of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh ,is to be placed on the market. Archbishop Leo Cushley said: “The trustees and I are required to ensure that resources are used in support of the Archdiocese’s charitable purposes, and our review concluded that continued investment in the current site would not represent the most effective use of those resources. The Gillis Centre holds historical, spiritual and personal significance for many clergy and people across the Archdiocese and beyond as a place of formation, prayer, administration, education and encounter, so I ask for your prayers as we undertake this next chapter together.”

Bishop William Shomali of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem will lead a special pilgrimage of peace in Knock Shrine, Co Mayo this weekend. Speaking ahead of his arrival, Bishop Shomali highlighted the humanitarian situation in Gaza and said settler attacks in the West Bank need attention. “Israel’s idea is to limit the presence of Palestinians to just three areas, build settlements around cities to occupy the land, and thereby move towards annexation of the West Bank under the name of Judea and Samaria,” he warned, adding that the aim of this was to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state.

Organisers of the annual All Ireland Rosary rally have launched a two-week 50-site billboard campaign across Ireland, north and south of the border, to promote the event. Last year’s rally brought 10,000 participants to Knock shrine for speakers and devotions over the first weekend in June. Thousands more tuned in live online. This year’s Rally features an international line‑up of speakers and witnesses to faith including Bishop Oliver Doeme of Nigeria, who will give a testimony on the Rosary’s power against Boko Haram, and Sr Ângela de Fátima Coelho, Vice Postulator for the Cause of the three Fatima children.

Bishop Paul Dempsey has expressed concern over “voices” promoting “a sense of exclusivity” in Ireland today. In his homily for the annual State Commemoration Service for the 1916 Leaders of the Rising in the Church of the Defence Forces in Dublin, he said this exclusivity was not in the spirit of their vision for the Republic. “The 1916 Leaders believed in the dignity of every human life, they wanted equal opportunities for all, and no one was to be left behind.” It challenges us, he said, to look to those who are on the margins and have no voice. 

The ordination of three new priests for the Archdiocese of Armagh was described as a “Spirit-filled day” by Archbishop Eamon Martin. The Archbishop of Armagh ordained Fr Paul O’Reilly from Cork, Fr Jacek Tuszkiewicz from Poland and Fr Gabriel Neal comes from the US in St Patrick’s Cathedral. He told the congregation that the new priests reflect the increasingly international character of priesthood in Armagh, where priests from a variety of backgrounds, cultures and pastoral experiences now serve local parish communities. The three ordinations brings the number of priests ordained for Armagh in recent years to twelve.

Stay updated — add us as a preferred news source on Google: