latest news

The Catholic safeguarding standards agency visited our diocese on Tuesday 17th January to lead our clergy in some training following an invitation from our diocesan safeguarding team. The CSSA was created following the publication of the Elliot report. They exist as a regulatory function for Catholic diocese across England and Wales.  The Elliot report was commissioned in October 2019, by the...

This Sunday, the second Sunday of ordinary time, is national peace Sunday across our Church, following the international day of peace. The theme of this years peace Sunday is “No one can be saved alone. Combatting Covid-19 together, embarking together on paths of peace.” Pope Francis expressed more on this theme in his full message for the day.  Vice president of the Catholic Bishops Conference...

On Monday, 5th December Mrs Joan Kedward and Fr Wayne Coughlin (both Guardians of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Bedford) visited St Thomas More Catholic School, Brickhill to rededicate the school’s Marian Home Shine. The assembly began with a lovely introduction from the school’s Lay Chaplain, Mrs Helen Burgess and beautiful Advent prayers led by two students.  Joan then spoke movingly about how Jesus...

Bishop David spoke at the recent Mission Conference. Here is the full text of his talk. We are called to be a missionary diocese. And so I want to share some thoughts about how I see things developing. And let me say, I do see things moving in the right direction. So within that context, let’s begin with a few challenging ideas which are holding us back. There are many around our diocese who...

The second annual Mission Conference took place in Beaconsfield on Saturday 12th November. The conference led by Mission Northampton was called ‘Inspire: Making Missionary Disciples’. Mission Northampton, led by the director, Dr Maria Heath, have just completed a two week mission in Houghton Regis where they gave out breakfast to commuters, went door to door on new estates and invited people...

"This last two weeks has been amazing!" Fr Simon Penhalagan, parish priest of St Martin De Porres in Luton exclaimed as the outreach fortnight came to an end. Assisted by the vast experience of Sion Community in evangelisation, 20 members of the Luton and Dunstable Catholic community have been sharing the love of God in very tangible ways: on doorsteps in one to one conversations; by giving away...

Statement from the Catholic Council for the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse on the Final Report of the Inquiry Today, the Panel of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has published its final report after seven years of work. The Catholic Council welcomes this report, thanks the Inquiry for its work and will carefully study its contents and recommendations. In the work of...

Our diocese said Bon Voyage to the relics of Saint Bernadette on Thursday morning following a farewell Mass at 7.00am celebrated by Bishop David Oakley. The relics will now be making their way to Norwich Cathedral in the diocese of East Anglia. The relics had been at our Cathedral since Monday and had received over 2000 visitors alongside several thousand virtual visitors through the live...

The relics of Saint Bernadette arrived at the Catholic Cathedral of St Thomas and Our Lady Immaculate on Monday afternoon for a three day visit. Many people are expected to come and pray beside the relics. The Cathedral chapter met Bernadette at the steps of the Cathedral before processing in as Fr Andrew Coy sang a litany of Bernadette.  Bishop David welcomes the relics saying “My dear sisters...

Our diocesan Catholic schools gathered for the annual celebration Mass at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Dunstable. Following a covid restricted smaller gathering in 2021, our Catholic schools were once more represented by hundreds of students, staff, governors and trust directors. Bishop David celebrated the Mass with Fr Tony Brennan parish priest of St Mary’s and the newly appointed parish...

Pact, the national Catholic prisons charity, is very busy in the Northampton diocese where we work in six of the prisons as well as in the community. A local member of Pact staff reported this week that she had supported a dad in prison to engage with his children’s social worker. ‘This meant he was able to attend a family visit and see his children for the first time in just over a year. This...

Mission Northampton have announced the second Mission Conference to be held in Beaconsfield on Saturday 12 November 2022. 'Inspire - Making Missionary Disciples Together', will run from 11am to 4pm. Maria, Alex and Fr Simon will be joined by Bishop David as he shares his vision for mission in the Diocese, helping to reflect on where we are and where we are going. Allegra Mutanda, who is the...