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The God Who Speaks – Our Liturgy of the Word Are you seeking to develop your engagement with the scriptures? If so, a series of 3 online zoom sessions exploring the upcoming lectionary readings and seasons of the liturgical year is being offered by NORES. Led by Mgr Kevin McGinnell and Alex Heath these sessions will cover themes such as: Marks Gospel and the Season of Advent The Importance of...

A Time to Listen It has been one year since the first diocesan Mass for victims and survivors of abuse. Much has happened during that time both within our diocese and outside! Not least of all for our diocese, we have a new Bishop. Bishop David Oakley has continued the work and ministry of his predecessor, Bishop Peter Doyle in meeting and engaging with those who have been hurt by the actions of...

CAFOD online events for Family Fast Day CAFOD is launching a series of online events for Family Fast from 8-11 October. This is a Harvest like no other, and while we face severe challenges at home, our sisters and brothers in some of the world’s poorest communities desperately need our help too. Join together in prayer and community while helping the most vulnerable.  Sign up for a Eucharistic...

The Feast of the Holy Rosary From Bishop David The Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Rosary on the 7th October, and this month is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Rosary. Many of us will pray this blessed prayer every day, with an opportunity to reflect upon the mysteries of salvation in the life of Our Lord and His Blessed Mother. On the 31st October, the Walsingham Shrine team have...

Bishop David Thanks Parish VolunteersBishop David has written to priests to pass his thanks onto volunteers who are stewarding in our catholic churches and making it possible for them to remain open. Recognising the struggle many churches face to find volunteers and the pressure on those who do volunteer as the pandemic continues much longer than any of anticipated, Bishop David writes: My dear...

Ordination To The Sacred Priesthood of Daniel Rooke On Saturday 26th September 2020, our diocese welcomed a new man to our diocesan presbyterate, Daniel Rooke. Daniel, a parishioner of The Holy Child and St Joseph Catholic Church in Bedford, was ordained in his home parish watched by Christopher and Helen, his mother and father, and his two brothers, Philip and Edward. Daniel said “It has been a...

Catholic Schools Week Every year our diocese celebrate the tremendous work undertaken by our catholic schools across our diocese with a dedicated week called ‘Catholic Schools Week’. . We ask your prayers and encouragement and that of all our people for this valuable vocation. Monsignor Kevin McGinnell, Episcopal Vicar for Education says “Like all schools, these months have been and continue to...

Bishop David Keeps His Promise In July Bishop David made a promise to support CAFOD’s initiative ‘A Summer of Hope’.  Recognising the fear and anxiety that the recent pandemic has caused in this country, Bishop David asks us to focus on those in other parts of the world.  “It is not possible for many people around the world to social distance from each other or wash their hands regularly because...

Bishop Celebrates Mass for our Diocesan Jubilarians On Tuesday 8th September, Bishop David celebrated Mass for all those priests across our diocese celebrating a significant anniversary of ordination. He was joined by a number of clergy who were celebrating an anniversary. Bishop David took the opportunity to speak directly to his priests at the homily. He encouraged them to gain their identity...

Season of Creation We have entered the season of creation! During this anniversary year of ‘Laudato Si’, September 1st through to 4th October, the feast of St Francis of Assisi, we are reminded to consider on our treatment of our world. As Pope Francis says,  "we have the opportunity to reflect on our lifestyles”.  The season of creation is an annual ecumenical event, during which the Catholic...

Universal Day of Prayer and Fasting for Lebanon  “Lebanon cannot be abandoned in its solitude” Pope Francis has asked the church to show solidarity with the people of Lebanon by uniting for a universal day of prayer and fasting for the nation on Friday, 4th September.  One month after a huge explosion In Beirut killed 100 people and injuring thousands more, Pope Francis encouraged the Lebanese...

It has hardly been an average first few months in Northampton for Bishop David Oakley. He was ordained Bishop two days before lockdown began, with a limited number in our Cathedral to meet and celebrate with him. He was then alone in Bishops House, becoming extremely ‘zoom fatigued’ as he attempted to not waste those precious first few moments of his Episcopal life. During this time we have...

Creating a Summer of Hope Bishop David shares some thoughts on the CAFOD Summer of Hope campaign "However you celebrate the summer, make it hopeful and give what you can to support the most vulnerable people in our world during this global crisis." While we can’t meet up for coffee mornings in our parish halls or go to the summer fayres we love this summer, the Catholic community is fundraising...

New guidance to enable parishes to become ‘A ‘sanctuary’ open to all’ has been issued by the Congregation for the Clergy this week The instruction titled, ‘The pastoral conversion of the Parish community in the service of the evangelising mission of the Church’ places evangelisation at the centre of a parishes purpose. Evangelisation through the Eucharist is a central theme in the document...

Bishop David Appoints New Priest Secretary Bishop David has appointed Fr James Evans, currently Parish Priest of Sacred Heart in Aston Le Walls, as his Priest Secretary. Fr James will be based at Bishops House in Northampton and offer pastoral support to the Cathedral parish. Fr James will remain diocesan Vice Chancellor, a role he has undertaken for the last few years. The role of priest...