EVANGELII GAUDIUM SUNDAY

Supporting Mission Across England and Wales

Watch Bishop David Oakley reflect on Evangelii Gaudium Sunday and the creed in this short video. 

CBCEW Mission Directors Message
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In 2013, during the first year of his pontificate, Pope Francis published his first Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). In this landmark document, he invited the Church to “embark on a new chapter of evangelisation” rooted in joy and hope, while seeking new and creative ways of sharing the Gospel in today’s world. This call remains as vital now as it was then: every Christian is sent to be a missionary disciple, witnessing to Christ in both word and action.

This year, Evangelii Gaudium Sunday will be celebrated on 21 September 2025. It is a day dedicated to the domestic mission of the Catholic Church, encouraging us to share the Gospel here in our own communities, parishes, schools, and families.

The chosen theme for 2025 is “I believe…”, inspired by the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. At this great gathering in 325 AD, bishops from across the Christian world came together to formulate the Creed that continues to shape our faith today. On Evangelii Gaudium Sunday, we are invited not only to profess these ancient words at Mass, but also to build our lives upon them—living and sharing the faith with conviction and joy.