Pope Leo appoints Bishop Marcus Stock Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Hallam

Following the resignation of the Right Reverend Ralph Heskett C.Ss.R. as Bishop of Hallam, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Marcus Stock as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Hallam.

This appointment is in addition to his office as Bishop of Leeds and additional responsibilities as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Middlesbrough.

“I feel very humbled by the trust which His Holiness has placed in me with these appointments,” said Bishop Stock. “The Holy Father has requested that I begin a consultation with the clergy, religious and lay faithful of the Diocese of Hallam about a possible reunification with the Diocese of Leeds, from part of which Hallam was created in May 1980."

Archbishop’s statement on House of Lords vote on the Crime and Policing Bill

Archbishop John Sherrington, Archbishop of Liverpool and lead bishop for life issues for the Bishops’ Conference, has issued a statement following the House of Lords’ decision to keep clause 208 in the Crime and Policing Bill.

The clause decriminalises abortion up to birth in some circumstances.

Archbishop Sherrington expressed his distress at the decision and has warned that “this move is likely to lead to more late-term abortions putting pregnant women and their babies at risk. Many women could likely also face even greater risks of isolation, coercion, and pressure.

Archbishop Wilson: Unborn child “ignored and silenced” after vote to decriminalise abortion

The Archbishop of Southwark, the Most Reverend John Wilson, has described the legislation as “frightening” and that it not only ignores the unborn child, but also raises “serious concerns for the safety of women”.

Archbishop Wilson said:“This is a truly tragic moment for our nation. How can this frightening legislation, which, following Royal Assent, will permit the abortion of children right up until the moment of birth for any reason, have any place in a civilised society? We can never underestimate the challenges that women and men encounter facing difficult decisions."

Archbishop Mark O’Toole on abortion vote: We long for the day when we will truly be a “civilised society”

Archbishop Mark O’Toole, Archbishop of Cardiff-Menevia, has issued a statement following the House of Lords’ vote in favour of decriminalising abortion up to birth.

He said: “The decision of the House of Lords to support abortion up to birth is not only deeply distressing it is also deeply disturbing. How have we got to a point in our society where we are willing to enact such terrifying legislation?"

Bishop Curry echoes Pope Leo’s “Cease the fire!” plea and calls for prayers for mothers and children across the Middle East

On the day that countries in the Middle East celebrate Mother’s Day, 21 March, a week after the UK marked the occasion, Bishop Jim Curry has reiterated Pope Leo’s call that “paths of dialogue be reopened” and that the people of the Middle East can be spared the ongoing “atrocious violence of war.”

In particular, Bishop Curry, Lead Bishop for the Holy Land for the Bishops’ Conference, urged Catholics to pray for all mothers and their children:

“We know that women and children are among the first to suffer in war,” he said. “We’ve seen it in Gaza, we’ve seen it in Ukraine, now we see it in Iran and neighbouring countries. This is not how the world should be. We’ve taken a different turn recently where brute force triumphs over dialogue. None of us would advocate for regimes that stifle free speech and oppress the vulnerable. We need to respect international law seeking peaceful diplomatic solutions and a return to diplomacy that respects a rules-based order.”

Holy Hour for the Dignity of Life

Sunday 19 April – 4:30pm

Join with the Bishops of England and Wales to pray a Holy Hour for the dignity of all human life as peers in the House of Lords continue to debate whether to make Assisted Suicide law.

On Sunday, 19 April at 4:30 pm (UK time), the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales will hold a Holy Hour to pray for the promotion of a culture of life in our lands.

We are asking the parishes and Catholic communities of our two nations to unite and hold a Holy Hour on the same day as the Bishops.

Laetare ‘Rejoice’ | Episode 30

March’s 'At the Foot of the Cross' podcast has arrived just before Laetare Sunday. Our Director of Mission and regular guest, Abbot Hugh Allan, takes the opportunity to offer a few words on this special Sunday of Lent that we celebrate on 15 March. We then briefly look ahead to Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum before discussing the Bishops’ April plenary meeting that takes place this year in Rome at the Venerable English College’s summer villa, Palazzola. This is more of a retreat/on-going formation meeting but there will be some plenary business to report next month. After the 'Points for Prayer' segment, Fleur Dorrell, our Biblical Apostolate Manager, takes a fascinating look at Our Lady in Scripture and Christian art with a particular focus on the great feast of the Annunciation, that we celebrate on 25 March.

Finally, we hear from Bishop Jim Curry, Lead Bishop for the Holy Land for the Bishops’ Conference. Our podcast concludes with a 10-minute audio segment that is a single edit of the Bishop’s contributions to a 'Middle East Analysis' podcast special on the war in Iran and the impact on the Holy Land and wider region.

Podcast image: Altera levatur on Wikimedia licensed under the CC BY-SA 4.0 International license.

Bishop Curry discusses Iran war and the impact on the wider region

When Bishop Jim Curry, our Lead Bishop for the Holy Land, and Dr Harry Hagopian, our former consultant on the Middle East North Africa region, last offered their thoughts on a podcast together, it was to contribute to the final episode of ‘Middle East Analysis’.

Just as we were lamenting the fact that the series had been placed on hold to consider its long-term future, something cataclysmic and literally earth-shattering took place that shook us from our self-imposed slumber to record a ‘special’ on the war in Iran and its wider regional consequences.

Listening to the Word in Lent

We’re encouraging our listeners to deepen their relationship with Christ through Scripture during Lent. As well as talking about the books of the Bible, Our Biblical Apostolate Manager, Fleur Dorrell, offers some achievable top tips to help us go deeper into Scripture as we journey towards Holy Week.

Contact a Peer to oppose Assisted Suicide

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has passed through the House of Commons and is now with the House of Lords. Our clear principled objection to the Bill remains. The House of Lords has a responsibility to scrutinise the Bill in depth and reject it if necessary.

Unlike MPs, Members of the House of Lords do not have constituents, meaning there is not a Peer whose job it is to represent you based on the area of the country in which you live. For this reason you should take some time to think about which Peer you will write to and why, such as whether you have a personal or professional connection with them, or you have professional expertise in medicine or healthcare.

Please visit this link for full guidance to help you write to a Peer.

We Dare to Ask

Lenten Resource

Our 2026 Lenten resource seeks to encourage an appreciation of what is given in Christian Baptism. God desires what is best for each of us while respecting our freedom to choose. To express our acceptance of the wonderful gift that God offers us, with open hearts and a willingness to change for the better, all we need to do is ask.

Stations of the Cross for children and young people

Lent resource

Throughout Lent, and particularly on Good Friday, we follow Our Lord Jesus Christ to the foot of the Cross as we commemorate His Passion and death through the Stations of the Cross.

This Lent, The Mark 10 Mission is introducing young people to this traditional Lenten devotion in an engaging and accessible way by providing online Stations of the Cross designed specifically for children.

On Friday 20 March, Bishop Gerard Bradley, a newly-ordained Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Southwark, joined Georgia Clarke from the Archdiocese, and Greg Finn from The Mark 10 Mission to present a half-hour Stations of the Cross reflection for young people.

CTS Lent Resources

Lent resource

Welcome to the Catholic Truth Society's Lent Retreat with Newman, an online retreat designed to help you to go deeper into the Gospels of Lent through the preaching of St John Henry Newman.

CSAN Lent Resources

Lent resource

CSAN's Lent 2026 page offers a curated collection of spiritual resources to support parishes, clergy, and lay leaders throughout the season. Here you will find homily notes for each Sunday of Lent, alongside recommended books and other reflective resources, all designed to help deepen prayer, encourage conversion, and accompany communities on their Lenten journey.

Holy Week

During Holy Week we follow Christ from his triumphant entrance into Jerusalem to the foot of the Cross as sorrowful bystanders to His Passion, before rolling back the stone of the empty tomb and the joy of the Resurrection.

Come and study with the Maryvale Institute

The Maryvale Institute offers a full range of programmes for every ability, from easy short courses to a five-year PhD programme. Want to deepen your faith? Thinking about getting more involved with your parish, Catholic organisation or Diocese? Would you like to teach in Catholic institutions? One of these courses may be for you.