Pope Leo XIV appoints new Bishop of Gibraltar

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has appointed Rev. Mgr Charles Azzopardi as Bishop of Gibraltar.

Mgr Azzopardi was, until now, parish priest of St Theresa’s Church and Rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe.

He succeeds the Rt Rev. Carmel Zammit whose resignation was accepted by the Holy Father.

Nottingham prepares to welcome pilgrims as they finish tracing huge ‘Sign of the Cross’ through England and Wales

The four main routes, or Ways, that make up the National Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope will converge at the Cathedral Church of Saint Barnabas in Nottingham on Saturday, 13 September.

Local people are gearing up to give the walkers a warm welcome to Nottingham and the pilgrims will end their journeys with a weekend of reflection, celebration and thanksgiving.

The Right Reverend Patrick McKinney, Bishop of Nottingham, said: “It’s a privilege for me to be able welcome the ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ to the Diocese, and an honour that the city and the Cathedral of Nottingham has been chosen as their destination."

Cardinal offers Pope birthday greetings and pledge of ‘devotion and unity’ on behalf of Catholics in England and Wales

To mark Pope Leo XIV’s 70th birthday, Cardinal Vincent Nichols has written to the Holy Father to assure him of the deepest prayers, filial devotion, and unity of the faithful in our lands. Pope Leo’s birthday falls on Sunday, 14 September, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

“The Church in England and Wales gives thanks to God for your life and vocation,” writes Cardinal Nichols. “We pledge to Your Holiness our filial devotion and unity, and we entrust your ministry to the maternal care of Our Lady of Walsingham, confident that Christ, the Good Shepherd, will continue to guide you as you lead His Church.”

Young people seek the Church for answers, says Bishop ahead of Evangelii Gaudium Sunday

In this video interview, Bishop David Oakley, our Lead for Evangelisation and Discipleship, spoke to us about the Creed, why the Church offers an attractive space for young people seeking Jesus, and why it’s vitally important we confidently share our faith with others.

Message to Catholic Schools for Education Sunday

Education Sunday offers an opportunity for us to pray to Almighty God for all people involved in Catholic education, to celebrate the achievements of the past and to ask Our Lord to bless the work of the year ahead.

New saints are our teachers, says Bishop Hudson

Pilgrims from Westminster Diocese travelled from London to be present in St Peter’s Square to witness Pope Leo XIV Canonise two young saints – St Pier Giorgio Frassati and London-born millennial St Carlo Acutis.

Speaking to the group at the Ambassadorial residence, Bishop Hudson told those assembled that there was much to learn from the two new saints.

Two Bishops of Portsmouth issue statement about asylum

The Rt Rev Philip Egan, Bishop of Portsmouth, and the Rt Rev Jonathan Frost, Church of England Bishop of Portsmouth, made their joint statement after discovering that children were among those left intimidated within the Royal Beach Hotel. One asylum seeker, who is a Christian and attends church in Southsea, has detailed what life is like for his young family inside the hotel.

Celebrating the 150th anniversary of social justice prophet, Fr Charles Plater SJ

120 leading social justice thinkers and activists gathered on Tuesday 2 September to honour the legacy of Fr Charles Plater at a Catholic Social Teaching ‘on the streets’ conference at Campion Hall, Oxford.

Cardinal recalls ‘with fondness’ HRH the Duchess of Kent

Cardinal Vincent Nichols has recalled ‘with fondness’ the memory of Katharine, Duchess of Kent, following the announcement of her death at the age of 92 on Friday, 5 September 2025.

He offered his condolences to His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, assuring him of the prayers of the Catholic community in England and Wales.

Survivor engagement: Call for information

The Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA), the independent auditor of the Church's safeguarding work, has issued a public call for information to learn from survivors engagement experiences.

CSSA is currently doing a thematic audit of survivor engagement across all dioceses and religious life groups in England and Wales. To do this as effectively as possible, it would welcome information from anybody who feels they have something to share with regard to survivor engagement.

Values-driven Medical Training

The Art of Dying Well has released it’s latest podcast, Values-driven Medical Training.

In this episode, Professor Sonia Kumar, founding Executive Dean of Medicine at St. Mary’s University's new School of Medicine, shares her vision for a more compassionate, values-driven approach to medical education.

She discusses the importance of human connection, spirituality, and supporting both patients and doctors through death, dying, and grief.

Season of Creation

1 September - 4 October

The World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, celebrated on 1 September, is the official start of the Season of Creation, a time of sustained prayer and action which lasts a month and four days. During this season we are encouraged to pray and engage in community events in order to deepen our relationship with God, our neighbour and the earth we share, being ever more attentive to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.

The National Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope

13 September

The Pilgrimage of Hope is a national walking pilgrimage with four main Ways converging at the Cathedral of St Barnabas, Nottingham, on Saturday 13 September 2025, for shared prayer and celebration. The Pilgrimage will culminate with Solemn Mass for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross at 11.15 am on 14 September 2025 at St Barnabas’ Cathedral. The Pilgrimage will embody the values of the Sisters of the Holy Cross of compassion, faith, prayer and community.

Education Sunday

14 September

Education Sunday is marked this year on 14 September - just after the new academic year starts. The theme for 2025 is “The Son of Man must be lifted up” taken from St John’s Gospel (John 3:13-17).

Evangelii Gaudium Sunday

21 September

Evangelii Gaudium Sunday will be celebrated in our parishes on 21 September 2025. This year, the Church has been celebrating a significant anniversary. It’s 1,700 years since the Council of Nicaea. This great gathering of Bishops from around the Church began the work to formulate the creed we proclaim Sunday by Sunday. It is the content of this creed that is our mission, so that we may know and love God in this life, in order to be happy with him forever in the next. The creed begins with a profound proclamation, “I believe…” This is the theme for Evangelii Gaudium Sunday 2025.

Synodality and the principle of subsidiarity

8 October

The Lyndwood Lecture is a biennial event, established in 1996, and organised alternately by the Ecclesiastical Law Society and the Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland, who are organizing the event this year. The lecture takes its name from William Lyndwood (1375-1446), sometime bishop of St David’s, a distinguished diplomat and canonist, most noted for the publication of the Provinciale, an early authoritative commentary on canon law.

A Decade of Laudato Si’: Lessons, Impact and the Road Ahead for the Christian Community

14 October

This year marks the tenth anniversary of Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’ encyclical on care for our common home.

Drawing on the experiences and leadership of Catholic, Anglican and Methodist churches, as well as insights from political and local contexts, this event will reflect on the progress and achievements of the past decade. It will celebrate the power of faith in action and consider how collaboration can sustain and amplify that impact while addressing the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Webinar: Women in the Criminal Justice System: Keeping Women out of Prison

15 October

The National Board of Catholic Women is hosting a webinar on Women in the Criminal Justice System: Keeping women out of prison, on Wednesday 15 October 2025 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm, to coincide with Prison Sunday on 12 October. With two excellent speakers, Emily Evison of the Prison Reform Trust and Julia Corcoran of PACT, representing charities involved in helping prisoners and advocating prison reforms.

Value, Neurodiversity and Education With Edith Stein

27 October - 1 November

An interactive conference reflecting on the writings and life of Edith Stein that explores her relevance for life and education today. The event encourages ecumenical fellowship in meal and prayer, discussion and practical workshops. It takes place at the Pontifical Teresianum University in Rome and at the Edith Stein Church in the city.

Diocese of Arundel and Brighton – Head of Finance

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you’ll oversee the support of cloud-based reporting for 80 parish sites and the delivery of timely, accurate management accounts for central operations based at our Crawley site. You will have a key role in providing high-quality financial reporting to our Trustees and Diocesan Finance Committee (DFC). You’ll also lead the team in producing statutory audited accounts, acting as the principal contact for external auditors.