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The Diocese of Northampton came together at Northampton Cathedral on Saturday 7 November for a special Mass of Remembrance for the Unborn, for Children who died in Infancy and for their Parents. Celebrated by Canon Simon Penhalagan at midday, the Mass provided a prayerful opportunity to remember and honour babies and children who have died, whether during pregnancy, in infancy or at any stage of...

The Vocations Director and Vocations Promoter for the Diocese of Northampton have joined colleagues from across England and Wales in Rome for their annual national meeting, combining reflection and discussion with a memorable opportunity to deepen their sense of communion with the universal Church. Fr Pius Amoako, Diocesan Vocations Director, and Fr Daniel Rooke, Vocations Promoter, attended the...

The Holy Father has begun a 12-day visit to three South American countries, bringing a message of faith, hope and fraternity to local communities and the wider Church. Pope Leo XIV departed Rome on Friday 6 November for his sixth Apostolic Journey since the beginning of his pontificate, travelling to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. The papal aircraft, carrying the Holy Father and the journalists...

Twenty parishioners from the Catholic Parish of Our Lady Help of Christians and St Lawrence in Olney made a pilgrimage to the Catholic National Shrine and Basilica of Our Lady at Walsingham on Saturday 24 October, enjoying a day of prayer, fellowship and thanksgiving despite some decidedly challenging weather. Walsingham, in Norfolk, has been an important place of Christian pilgrimage for almost...

The parish community of St Edward’s, Kettering, came together for a beautiful and moving Bereavement Mass on the Feast of All Souls, remembering and praying for those who have died during the past year. At the heart of the celebration was a poignant display on the sanctuary, where a photograph of each person who had died was placed alongside the order of service. Each photograph represented a...

As the Church prepares to celebrate the tenth World Day of the Poor on Sunday 15 November, Pope Leo XIV is inviting Catholics to reflect on how we recognise, accompany and stand alongside those experiencing poverty. In his message, the Holy Father reminds us that the Church must not simply reach out to the poor, but become a place where they find welcome, dignity, friendship and hope. The tenth...

Every November, bonfires are lit and fireworks fill the skies as people across Britain remember the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. The name Guy Fawkes is familiar to generations, but behind the annual celebrations lies a much more complicated story of religious division, political tension and the experience of Catholics in England. For Catholics in Northamptonshire and neighbouring counties, the story...

Parishes across the Bedfordshire Pastoral Area have been making pilgrimages to the Church of St Francis of Assisi in Shefford as part of the special Year of St Francis, marking the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death. The pilgrimages, which took place over a number of weekends, brought together parish communities to celebrate Mass and deepen their understanding of St Francis, his life and his...

November 2026: For the proper use of wealth Pope Leo XIV invites us this November to pray that wealth may be used not for selfish gain, but in the service of the common good and those who have less. This intention encourages us to reflect on how we use the resources entrusted to us, recognising that generosity and solidarity can make a real difference to others. Through our prayers and actions,...

Fr Chris Colaco, assistant priest in the Parish of the Good Shepherd, Corby, was among those who met Pope Leo XIV in Rome on Saturday 24 October, as part of the Jesus Youth International Conference.For Fr Chris Colaco, who was ordained to the priesthood this summer and now serves the newly formed Parish of the Good Shepherd in Corby, meeting Pope Leo XIV was a special moment in the early months...

The Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Northampton joined civic and faith leaders at All Saints’ Church for a celebration of Northamptonshire’s patron saints, St Crispin and St Crispinian. St Crispin and St Crispinian are traditionally remembered as early Christian martyrs who proclaimed the Gospel in Gaul, in present-day France, during the Roman era. According to their traditional story,...

A new document from the Vatican encourages the Church to find fresh ways to help people encounter Jesus Christ in a changing world. How can the Catholic Church share the joy of the Gospel with people who may have little experience of faith, or who have drifted away from it? That is the question at the heart of Venite ad me (“Come to me”), a new document published by the Vatican’s Dicastery for...

The Diocese of Northampton’s Director of Pastoral Ministry, Avril Baigent, helped facilitate an international gathering exploring how the Church can better accompany families in the joys and challenges of everyday life. Avril took part in a week-long meeting at the Vatican from 7 to 14 October, convened by Pope Leo XIV to mark the tenth anniversary of Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), Pope...

Parishioners at St Bernardine’s Catholic Church in Buckingham are marking the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi with a series of special events celebrating his enduring message of faith, conversion, peace and joy. On Tuesday 20 October, parishioners gathered with Father Bosco for the third of nine Tuesday novenas dedicated to St Francis. The weekly evenings begin with the...

Parishioners at Holy Ghost parish in Luton came together on Sunday 18 October for their annual parish Afternoon Tea, enjoying an afternoon of friendship, conversation and plenty of homemade treats. Served with tea in beautiful china cups, the gathering offered everyone a chance to relax, catch up with familiar faces and get to know one another better. Parish life is about more than coming...

Catholic population grows worldwide as Church marks 100 years of World Mission Sunday The number of Catholics worldwide has risen to more than 1.42 billion, while the number of priests has recorded its first increase in five years, according to new figures released by the Vatican’s Fides News Agency. Published ahead of the centenary of World Mission Sunday on 18 October 2026, the Catholic Church...