Come and deepen your devotion to Our Lady at this inspiring day of prayer and reflection on Sunday 22 November, from 12:30pm, in Chelsea, London. Featuring Sr Angela de Fátima Coelho and Fr Lawrence Lew OP, the programme includes Mass, the Rosary, a Marian Procession, talks, and devotions centred on the message of Fatima and the First Saturdays. Free to attend - all are welcome. Please bring a packed lunch. Registration required: https://bit.ly/4dgPDE3

The Vision statement for the new parish has been agreed at a meeting of the Clergy Team as follows: “Our vision is to be a vibrant, joyful, Christ-centric Catholic family of communities, where everyone is made welcome. Inspired by God’s love and compassion we seek to grow together in faith, nurture each other’s talents and care for the vulnerable and marginalised.” The Leadership Team has now penned three draft Mission Statements as follows:  Our Prayer Mission: To provide opportunities to deepen our relationship with God through prayer at all stages of life. Our Formation Mission: To develop and equip all people to grow in faith and become confident disciples knowing and imitating Christ. Our Outreach Mission: To welcome everyone with joy and create safe places which transforms our faith into action in our churches as well as in the wider society. If you have any comments on the Mission Statements, please speak or email me or any of the PFM Team. Thank you, Deacon Simon

Speaking during the homily he explored his journey as a sixteenyear-old teenager who didn't believe in God, to priesthood and his appointment as Bishop of Arundel & Brighton. Highlighting the importance of sharing our "gift of faith" he affirmed the role of church communities as places "of love, of welcome and of belonging" where people can find grace and hope. “[I need] to be rooted in a place, a people” he said. “In a world of social media, AI companions, hypermobility and working-from-home, how hard it is to build lasting relationships and find communities where we are truly known; and how many of us are struggling with loneliness? “We need to work on this as a Church. Our parishes are meant to be communities of love, of welcome, and of belonging. That doesn’t just happen. It takes a lot of investment and commitment.  “To be with others as Christian brothers and sisters when they may not be your best mates or your obvious social group; to care for one another, simply to know someone’s name, and to be known in return. Our parishes should be beacons shining out for everyone who is searching for a place to belong. That takes someone – you, me – who is willing to reach out and simply say hello.”

Catholics across our community of faith welcomed a new bishop on Monday, when Fr Stephen Wang was ordained as the sixth Bishop of our Diocese. Words from St Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians form the basis of Bishop Stephen’s episcopal motto: “Veritas in caritate.” Reflecting on their significance on Monday, he said: “‘To speak the truth in love’ is a phrase that has inspired my whole priesthood: the search for truth, and the conviction that truth and love can never contradict. If we love God, and love our neighbour; if we seek the truth and speak the truth in love; what more could God want from us, and what more could we hope for each other? “I’ve felt remarkably peaceful over the last three months,” he continued. “It’s definitely a grace – the spiritual joy and consolation I’ve experienced since my appointment. I’m not complacent; I understand there will be challenges, but I know it’s all in God’s hands.”