LOVE THE STRANGER
This month sees the launch of the “Love the Stranger”. This publication by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales Department for International Affairs, deals with migrants and refugees, placing them “at the heart of our pastoral outreach, looking beyond statistics and policies to the person – each with a name, a face and a story”.
To learn more visit https://www.cbcew.org.uk/love-the-stranger/
THE SEIGE OF CHERNIHIV
Common Home TV (an initiative of the Redemptorists in Oceania) has been granted rare access to the Redemptorist community in Chernihiv. Fr Taras Kchik CSsR, a Redemptorist priest based in Ukraine, brings the viewer into the reality of the siege with dramatic, never before seen footage of Russia’s invasion. From February 24th to 4th April 2022, unguided bombs indiscriminately hit the city causing civilian casualties and the mass destruction of infrastructure.
The Siege of Chernihiv witnesses the mobilisation of the Redemptorists and their efforts to help the community. From opening the Church to shelter those who could not escape to organising supplies for shut-ins; to supporting hospital staff and those in palliative care, the Redemptorist charism of supporting the abandoned comes to life in this short documentary. The choice to remain and provide support is a dangerous one, as since the recording of this video two Redemptorist priests have been arrested and detained by Russian forces.
Taras’ Redemptorists confrères in Oceania are committed to working towards a swift and peaceful end to this conflict.
PASTORAL PLAN UPDATE
A summary report from Area 6 of the Pastoral Plan for laity: Becoming a Church that cares for its priests: Sharing the journey so far. An update from your priests has been made available . Click here to read it.
To remind yourself what the Pastoral Plan said visit https://liverpoolpastoralplan.org.uk/
FEEDING LIVERPOOL – QUEEN OF GREENS
The Queen of Greens bus is a new mobile greengrocer bringing affordable fresh fruit and vegetables to communities across Liverpool and Knowsley to boost access to healthy food and tackle health inequalities. Some areas visited on the route are classed as ‘food deserts’, where residents currently have to travel a kilometre or more to reach a supermarket selling ‘green’ produce, 800 metres to a convenience store, or 500 metres to a fresh market stall. The new Queen of Greens bus will visit 29 stops each week including schools, hospitals, health and community centres, providing people with better opportunities to shop for nutritious food closer to their home or workplace. The project is a partnership between charities Feeding Liverpool, which is leading the city’s Good Food Plan to create a city where ‘everyone can eat good food’, and Feedback project Alchemic Kitchen, with funding from Feeding Britain. Healthy Start cards and Alexandra Rose vouchers are accepted.
Find out more about the Queen of Greens here and the timetable is available here
WORKING DOCUMENT FOR THE CONTINENTAL STAGE OF THE SYNODAL WAY ;(THE UNIVERSAL SYNOD)
This document is the fruit of the Syntheses, which resulted from the consultation of the People of God across countries and dioceses in Europe. It is a part of the journey through the first phase of the universal synodal process. It will be the focus of the time of listening, dialogue and discernment of the Continental Synodal Assemblies (January-March 2023).
The document can be found here: https://www.synod.va/content/dam/synod/common/phases/continental-stage/dcs/Documento-Tappa-Continentale-EN.pdf
SVP AWARENESS
Maggie Doherty (St Mary’s University) has asked for the following invitation for SVP Taster sessions to be circulated:
Would you like to help out to people in need in your community?
For nearly two centuries the St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) has been seeking and finding those in need and responding in love. Today, the SVP in England and Wales represents almost 10,000 members across around 1,000 groups. It is rare for one corner of the SVP to encounter a need which has not also been seen and responded to by our members.
Join the movement
This month, you can take part in a range of free online taster sessions, including: ‘care leavers’, ‘end of life companionship’, ’social justice’, ‘holiday camps’, and ‘support for refugees and migrants’. Get involved and turn concern into action!
To discover more: www.svp.org.uk/discover or email your interest to If you are aware of a need, please contact us at
NEW CANONS OF THE METROPOLITAN CHAPTER
Congratulations to Fr Conor Stainton-Polland, Fr John Gorman, Fr David Heywood and Fr Kevin McLoughlin who were installed asCanons of the Metropolitan Cathedral at a Capitular Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral on 8th November
TAKING LITURGY SERIOUSLY
Society of St Gregory are focusing on the Eucharist: exploring its theology, scriptures, the words in prayer, symbolism, music, and our environment. These six topics will allow us to enter deeply into what is at the heart of our Catholic life. For more information see https://www.ssg.org.uk/taking-liturgy-seriously/
THE CALL OF CREATION
On the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecologists and animals, the Social Justice Department of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales launched a new edition of its teaching document on the environment – The Call of Creation.
First published two decades ago, in 2002, this new edition is released at the conclusion of the Church’s month-long Season of Creation. The document calls for a “profound interior conversion” and for Catholics to “repair our relationship with God’s creation” to address the current ecological crisis.
Writing in the foreword, Bishop John Arnold, Lead Bishop for the Environment, and Bishop Richard Moth, Chair of the Social Justice department, say:
“We are a people of hope who believe in redemption. We must study the signs of the times and take the action that is needed to repair our relationship with God’s creation. As is made clear in The Call of Creation, the exercise of the virtue of solidarity and the promotion of the common good, which are so needed at this time, are the responsibility of each and every individual and institution in society.”
You can read a copy by clicking here
PODCAST CBCEW:
THE FOOT OF THE CROSS: Remembering The Queen | Episode 6
The latest At The Foot of the Cross podcast looks at the period of mourning after the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We also have a message from Bishop Paul McAleenan for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. September is the 'Season of Creation' so we're joined by Bishop John Arnold to talk about our environmental work and, in particular, the imminent re-release of the Bishops' teaching document Call of Creation. Our regular guest, General Secretary, Canon Christopher Thomas, offers his personal reflections on Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and talks to us about the continental phase of the synodal process and looks forward to the jubilee year of 2025.
Remembering The Queen | Episode 6
COST OF LIVING CRISIS:
GUT HEALTH & ALZHEIMERS
New research looking at the link between gut health and the development of Alzheimers.
BEREAVEMENT RESOURCES
The Archdiocese Pastoral Development Department has complied the attached resources to help support parishes in light of the recent shooting of Olivia Pratt-Korbel. To access them click here
SEASON OF CREATION:
The Season of Creation is a global ecumenical celebration of prayer and action to protect our common home, starting each year on the 1st September (World Day of Prayer for Creation) and finishing on the feast of St Francis, 4th October. During this season we are encouraged to pray and engage in community events in order to deepen our relationship with our God, our neighbour and the earth we share, being ever more attentive to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.
CAFOD have colated some prayer on the Care of Creation click here
SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE UNBORN CHILD:
A recent BBC poll found that 15% of British women had experienced pressure or coercion to have an abortion that they did not want. This abuse must be stopped. Please sign SPUC’s petition calling on the Health Secretary to urgently commission research into the area of abortion coercion, and in so doing recognise coerced abortion as a priority for health and social policy moving forward, by going to https://www.spuc.org.uk/coercion
ENVIRONMENT BISHOP:
“It’s time to sprint towards climate action.” A couple of weeks ago we experienced record temperatures of over 40°C, Bishop John Arnold, our Lead Bishop for the Environment, released an urgent message warning us to take action on global warming. He said: “We’ve already been told that some of the damage is irreparable, so we’ve got to think and we’ve got to act.” Thanking parishes and schools for working so hard to promote sustainable living whilst campaigning for environmental justice, Bishop Arnold also urges all of us to take the recent heatwave as real wake-up call and to step up our efforts to take climate action.
For ideas about how we can act go to https://www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/bishop-john-climate-change/
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Reporting Abuse
