Just before Advent, on November 30, 2024, Bishop Patrick McKinney joined Bishop David Oakley in Luton to visit Grassroots, a local interfaith project. Luton falls within Bishop Oakley’s Diocese of Northampton, while Bishop McKinney, the Bishop of Nottingham, serves as the lead bishop for interfaith dialogue within the Bishops’ Conference. Since its establishment in 1991, Grassroots has earned a strong reputation for promoting community cohesion in Bedfordshire, working collaboratively with churches, faith groups, and individuals of no specific religious affiliation to foster relationships within Luton’s diverse community.
The bishops visited four places of worship, warmly welcomed by the leaders of each community. Their first stop was the Hindu Mandir (temple) on Hereford Road, followed by the Madinah Masjid in Bury Park, a mosque adjacent to Luton Town Football Club. Next, they toured the Guru Nanak Gurdwara, exploring the prayer spaces and facilities for the Sikh community, before concluding their visit with the Jewish community at the United Synagogue, located between Luton and Dunstable.
Reflecting on the visit, Bishop McKinney shared his impressions:
“At each place of worship, we were greeted with genuine warmth, and those we met spoke openly and humbly about their faith, explaining how it shapes their daily lives and perspectives. Beyond the generous hospitality, it was evident that our hosts were deeply connected to the wider community and committed to serving it in meaningful ways.
“We learned that Luton’s faith communities put significant effort into building strong relationships and exhibit a sincere desire to collaborate in fostering social cohesion and peace in the town.”
Bishop McKinney also commended the work of Grassroots, particularly highlighting its full-time worker, David Jonathan, known as Johny:
“I was deeply impressed by Grassroots’ outstanding efforts, especially its role within the Luton Council of Faiths. Johny’s dedication to promoting social cohesion and interfaith relations was unmistakable. He is clearly well-respected and widely recognized for his contributions.
“I was so impressed with Johny that I invited him to address the Catholic diocesan interreligious coordinators at their conference at Highgate House, Northamptonshire, on December 11, 2024. He was warmly received and made a strong impression on the group.”
David Jonathan said of the visit
“It was an honour and blessing for the town to host the visit of Bishops Patrick and David to Luton. Their visit to Luton’s different places of worship demonstrated that people of all faiths are committed to creating a world, where human dignity is protected, poverty eradicated, climate catastrophe abated, ideologies of supremacy demolished and peace reigns. Their visit was another milestone towards deepening and strengthening interfaith conversations and solidarity.
We have a great foundation to build on and a great potential to take our collaboration with different faith communities to even greater levels”.
Photographs form the visit can be viewed here
*Adapted from CBCEW
