On 3 September, representatives of Catholic organisations gathered to witness the blessing of Sophia House, a new home for female refugees in south Birmingham. Fr Cecil Rogerson of Our Lady and St Brigid’s Catholic Parish, and Fr David Evans of the Catholic Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, blessed the three-bedroomed house and the…
A new course hopes to inspire Christians to share their faith with others and encourage more people to talk about Christ. ‘Talking Jesus: The Course’ will support people to have conversations about their faith stories. Talking Jesus: The Course consists of six video-based teaching sessions. Each session features inspirational testimonies of people sharing their faith, complete…
The Joint Public Issues Team of Baptists Together, the Methodist Church, the Church of Scotland and the United Reformed Church has published a report calling on the government to end the hostile environment it has created towards people who cannot prove their right to live in the UK. Entitled ‘Destitution, Discrimination Distrust: the hostile environment’,…
The St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) are appealing for support to aid the victims of the catastrophic monsoon floods in Kerala, southern India. Volunteers across the UK have been raising funds to distribute to members in Kerala, so millions of people affected by the floods can receive life-saving support. They are asking for donations to…
The Jericho Foundation supports people who are seeking work. The following information may be useful to Caritas members and groups who support people seeking employment. They write: The Jericho Foundation is a Christian organisation that supports people to become “fulfilled, skilled and employed.” Jericho have been running employment training programmes for over 25 years. Our focus…
In May and June, schoolchildren from across the Archdiocese of Birmingham joined staff and volunteers from Father Hudson’s Care to present the money they raised for the charity’s Good Shepherd Appeal. The annual appeal sees children in around 200 Catholic schools raise funds to support the charity’s work. They hold sponsored events, bake sales, odd…
There are three job vacancies currently advertised across the Diocese. Head of Parish Catechetics Maryvale Institute: Full-time. Starting September 2018, apply by Friday 6 July Parish Evangelisation Post St John the Baptist with Sacred Heart, Tamworth. Part Time, apply by Wednesday 11 July. The parish is looking for a Catholic with a heart for…
Mauricio Silva, Columban IRD and Fatima House Coordinator, writes about the second anniversary of Fatima House, a project which offers accommodation to destitute female asylum seekers. On Friday 15th of June, Fatima House opened its doors to welcome friends and supporters. The occasion marked the second anniversary of this project, which offers sanctuary to asylum…
The links between Brushstrokes Community Project, which is based in the parish of St Philip Neri in Smethwick, and St Austin’s parish in Stafford have always been strong. Over the years, the M6 has become a hidden pathway of generosity connecting parishes thirty miles apart. Dedicated volunteers share their time and talents every week to…
Angie Morrell of Web Explorers writes: No doubt many parishes have heard of, or have studied, the implications of extreme events, such as floods, earthquakes, sinking islands, plastic pollution, oil spills and other disasters. Here in Leamington, in 2015, there was the opportunity to join the CAFOD course looking at these issues. Two people from…